Dyer County School Board members disagree on teacher pay raises

By WILLIAM NORTHCUTT

Staff Reporter

The Dyer County School Board met Tuesday, September 3, and discussed pay equity raises for certified staff, starkly disagreeing on whether or not to grant them. The board approved revised and new policy rules and saw a presentation from faculty about the pros and cons of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in and out of the classroom.

Board members present included Keith Anderson, LeAnn Childress, Andrew Grills, Chairman Jeremy Gatlin, Mike McLaughlin, Tara Gibson, Steve Dodds, Patricia McCreight, and Sherrell Armstrong. Dyer County Schools Director Cheryl Mathis attended as well. Absent from the meeting was board member John David Caldwell. Judge Tony Childress attended to swear in recently reelected members.

Retention bonuses; discussion of 8% pay raise for teachers

Mathis reminded the board that the retention bonuses were part of the budget. In an article printed on April 4, 2024, the State Gazette reported on the April 2 meeting [https://www.stategazette.com/story/3035331.html]:

“Mathis noted $30K in retention bonuses to be paid to part-time and full-time staff including teachers, staff, and supervisors. She made careful note that the Director of Schools is not eligible to receive this bonus. Part-time teachers with one year of service will receive $250. Full-time teachers with one year of service will receive $500.”

Relatedly, on the agenda was a “discussion” item concerning giving existing certified staff a full 8% raise.

In a prepared statement, Mathis said,

“Our teachers are pillars of our community. Where would we be without them? Look around: we have so many successful people and contributing members of society in Dyer County. For the most part, it all started at school. Teachers taught the workforce as small children growing up how to read and do math. Today’s students require even more—how to grow socially and emotionally. We inspire dreams and change lives. We expose them to different careers and prepare them for college and TCAT, and boots on the ground working. Teachers are constantly being criticized everywhere we turn.

“Teachers aren’t the bad guys. They’re the ones who not only teach our kids but get a picture that a student drew that said, ‘You fed me when I was hungry’—because our teachers keep food for kids that don’t have snacks. Our teachers are the ones who love on our kids when they come in from a bad night or a bad weekend. Our teachers are the Sunday School teachers and little league coaches.

“Our teachers deserve every cent that we can give them. You’ve been given two budgets. One is the current budget. The other is the budget reflecting changes if we give teachers the remainder of the 8% raise. And looking at average salaries of districts in our area, we’re pretty much in the middle of the pack. We’re not the lowest, but higher salaries would help retain and would attract teachers to our area.

“I also think that moving forward, we must keep in mind all of our support staff...We could not operate day to day without their assistance.

“I challenge you to make a decision for what you feel is right for our school system. We will move forward with the will of the board.”

Armstrong remarked, “Explain what we are doing and how much it’s going to cost.”

Mathis replied, “So the 8% is what the beginning teachers received in our current budget...All other certified teachers received a flat $3,500.” She said that then, the schools would look at pay “teacher to teacher” to see what to give teachers so that they reach that 8%.

Dyer County Schools Finance Director said that she thought the increase in salaries could be budgeted.

Mathis said that the total increase to salaries would be $555,337. Later in the discussion, she noted that support staff raises would total around $112,000.

McLaughlin then read a prepared statement in opposition to the raise to a full 8%. In the statement, he said that the 2024-2025 budget was “fair.” He said the concern is having to sustain the salaries year to year. He stated, “I appreciate the efforts of Director Mathis and Finance Director ...Wendy Smith.” He continued, “I understand that the numbers are projections—revenues and expenditures.” He quoted a State Gazette article which reported a decrease in school revenues. He added, “Enrollment numbers will be further threatened by Governor Lee’s voucher program It's going to keep pressure on revenues.”

He continued,

“I believe the projections that are in place...there’s a deficit of spending, $1.6M, roughly, every year, and culminates in the fourth year with the fund balance being depleted and into the fifth year with the fund balance in negative. I believe that further analysis clearly indicates that we can’t support the increased salaries year to year. I’m not going to support it. There’s pressure on the county budgets as a whole. I’m not going to support it.”

Dodds asked whether Governor Bill Lee’s mandate of paying beginning teachers $50,000 a year is in effect, and Mathis replied that it will be in place starting in the beginning of the next school year.

There was discussion of receiving more TISA funds. Mathis stated too that the voucher program for private schools would not affect the county too much but that if it is applied to home schooling that Dyer County Schools “would be greatly impacted.”

Anderson commented that the raises are only fair but that “We need to do what is right [by granting the raises].” He asked if Smith knew the amount TISA would be raised.

The board came to the agreement that the issue would have to be placed on the October meeting’s agenda as an action item before it could be voted on.

Mathis noted that if the School Board approves the raises, “It would still have to go through the county commission.

Anderson motioned to bring the item up for action in October, Dodds seconded, and the motion carried.

Childress swears in members; travel permissions; policies

At the beginning of the meeting, Judge Childress swore in School Board Members for another term: LeAnn Childress, McCreight, Gatlin, and Armstrong.

Additionally, officers were reelected by board members. With a motion by LeAnn Childress and second by Dodds, Gatlin was reelected as chair; with a motion by Gibson, and a second by McLaughlin, LeAnne Childress was reelected as vice-chair; with a motion by Dodds and a second from Childress, Gibson was reelected as secretary.

SNP Supervisor/CTE Director Amy Hester requested of the board permission for Dyer County High School (DCHS) FFA to attend the National Future Farmers of America (FFA) Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, October 22-26. McLaughlin motioned for approval, LeAnn Childress seconded, and the motion carried. Band Director Justin Brown requested permission for the DCHS band to attend a contest at Arkansas State University on October 19. Dodds made the motion, McCreight seconded, and the motion carried.

The board voted for updated policies en masse, the first round was for a second reading on policies for visitors to the schools, adding date specifications to the calendar, policy on AI use in programs and additional AI programs. Childress made a motion, Armstrong seconded, and the motion carried.

The board then passed updated policies on first reading. The first was a change in the policy which increases the minimum amount making it mandatory to get bids for services and purchases. The previous amount was $10,0000, and the revised amount is $25,000. Armstrong asked whether this was in line with Dyer County’s government policy, and Childress assured him that “It’s the same.”

All the updated and new policies are in line with state policies, Mathis said. These included policies on security, classroom size, athletics, library materials, opioid antagonists, grading systems, the reporting of child abuses, testing, promotion and retention, student transportation, and school admissions.

Dodds motioned to approve these, McCreight seconded, and all of the updated policies passed.

New policies, all in line with state policies, included policies on admission of suspended/expelled students, emergency preparedness, code of conduct, physical assault leave, sales of surplus property, zero tolerance offenses, and suspension.

There was some discussion on two of the new policies. The first, the Family Life Education Policy. Anderson said, “I would like to see what’s in the materials before I vote.” Nursing Supervisor Alicia Childress replied that she could get that information for the board, presumably before a second reading of the policy.

The second discussed was the policy on the use of unmanned aircraft/drones. Mathis explained that the schools will allow drones. Dodds asked, “For our teams and the opposing teams?” Mathis replied that there would be one for Dyer County Schools and opposing teams would be allowed one.

McLaughlin motioned to approve the first reading of these new policies, Grills seconded, and the motion carried.

Artificial Intelligence

DHS English Instructor Jacob Armstrong and Biology Department Head Cody Williams gave a presentation on the use of AI in the classroom and by students. They said that they were proceeding “ethically” with the issue, and Armstrong said that when students use AI to create their writing, “It is being treated as plagiarism” (using someone else’s words or ideas as their own without giving credit to the original source). He admitted that it is a problem in the schools.

Williams explained that the benefits of AI include logical output from data collection, among other plusses, but that the minus is that it does nothing for “critical thinking skills.” Armstrong said that AI is getting better. Board member Armstrong asked whether the issue is causing stress to the computer system, and Williams answered that it is not.

Anderson asked what the process was when students turned in such work. Armstrong said that the school uses the programs Securly and Turn-It-In, which match writing to databases and the web to check for originality. He stated that on a first offence, students are allowed to reattempt the assignment, for partial credit. On the second attempt, students are given no credit for the assignment.

High School Supervisor Angie Stafford said in making students aware of the policies, “The first step is to educate, [telling them that using AI to plagiarize is] basically cheating.” Childress remarked, “It would probably be good for parents to be informed [about AI].” Stafford replied that “AI came fast” and that the schools are training teachers about how to navigate the issue.

Mathis requested prayers for students and families over the loss of a student last month

The meeting concluded with Mathis asking for prayers for students and the family who are still struggling over the death of a student at DCHS last month. She said the students are still having “a hard time” with the loss.