Fulton Public Schools teachers will receive a $200 base salary increase as part of a salary schedule approved by the Fulton Board of Education Wednesday night.
As discussed in previous meetings, the Fiscal Year 2015 Certificated Salary Schedule also includes combining the BS and BS+15 categories, extending the number of years a teacher can advance with a BS degree. The base salary increase results in a BS base salary of $32,555.
The board also approved the FY 2015 Paraprofessional Salary Schedule, which Superintendent Jacque Cowherd said had been adjusted to "bring it more in line with other districts."
Changes to that schedule include:
•Increasing the PA base hourly rate to $8.70 with a 13-cent annual hourly increment;
•Increasing the Para Pro base rate to $9.35 hourly with a 14-cent hourly increment; and
•Increasing the 60-plus Hours base rate to $10.60 hourly with a 16-cent annual hourly increment.
Certified staff with Fulton's summer school program also will see an increase this year from $16.50 per hour to $17 per hour.
In other financial business, Cowherd gave board members another look at budget assumptions being used to develop the district's FY 2015 Budget.
Those assumptions include:
•A total levy of 4.2906;
•Adding 4.5 new staff;
•Advancing the salary schedule credits;
•Stable utility and fuel prices;
•Estimated revenues of $20.41 million and estimated expenses of $21.19 million, resulting in an estimated net operating balance of negative $786,918 (the district has reserves to operate on);
•Estimated balance of 31.53 percent.
The board will further review and formally vote on the FY 2015 Budget in June.
Wednesday night's meeting started off with recognition of student achievements, including band and FBLA students who recently competed at the district and state levels.
The district's Special Olympics athletes who competed in the state track and field competition in Hermann on April 16 were recognized as well - and were mentioned again by Cowherd later in the meeting.
Cowherd said that this was Fulton's first year competing at the Special Olympics, noting that staff did an "excellent job" of preparing the 17 participating students, who brought home a total of 29 awards.
Director of Special Services Barbara Reid described the day of the competition as "remarkable" and "one of the best days ever."
Assistant Superintendent Suzanne Hull also had "exciting news" to share.
Hull told the board she had been contacted by a representative with the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, who told her the Toyota plant in Troy had heard about the high school's new fabrication lab and wanted to know if the school would be interested in receiving a robotic arm.
"We're very excited," Hull said. "To be gifted this is pretty amazing. Not too many people in Missouri, at least at the high school level, can say they've worked with a robotic arm."