School board gives raises to Gentry teachers

GENTRY -- Teachers in Gentry will be receiving a $1,000 raise next year in addition to already scheduled step raises, meaning current teachers will receive $1,500 more for the next school year than in the current year.

The raises were approved by the school board on Monday night and at the recommendation of Randy Barrett, Gentry School District superintendent. Barrett said the raises should not put the district in financial jeopardy and that he intends to bring back a proposal for raises for non-certified staff at the May meeting of the board.

Barrett said the increase, along with the step increase already in place, will give teachers about a 5 percent increase.

The raises come, following a recommendation of the district's personnel policy committee to give teachers a $2,000 per year across-the-board raise.

Also approved by the board was forgiving five of the seven contract days waived by the state for students due to winter weather. The PPC had requested all seven days be forgiven, but mandatory training had already been scheduled on some of those makeup days for teachers which come after student days are completed.