Whitley Co. BOE approves district-wide raises

Employees of the Whitley County School District will be receiving a second wage increase in just over a year’s time following a decision made last week by the Whitley County Board of Education.

The board met for their regular monthly meeting on June 15, where the district’s salary schedule for the 2023-2024 school year was set, which will include a 2 percent pay raise. Superintendent John Siler said the raise would be district-wide.

“Across the board, every employee,” said Siler.

Board Chair Brenda Hill said that being able to provide raises is always something the board is happy to do.

“I just feel like they all deserve a raise for all the work they put in,” said Hill. “We have a great group and they work very hard and anytime we can reward them, we’re pleased to be able to do that.”

This year’s raise will differ from those provided last year in that they were based on an employee’s role within the district. For the 2022-2023 school year, employees who held classified positions—or non-teaching personnel—received an 8 percent raise, with all other district employees receiving a 4 percent raise.

In other board of education business:

– The ongoing construction to upgrades on the track at Whitley County Middle School has hit a bit of a roadblock after the discovery of unsuitable soils found below the existing track.

Suzanne Irwin, a project architect with Ross Tarrant Architects, said that discussions have already begun on how to best and most-economically solve the problem.

“We have been in the process of defining what needs to happen there and we are awaiting pricing on a solution from that,” said Irwin. “There were several options given and we talked through that and we’re looking for another alternative that I believe will be a better solution.”

That project originally included a full resurfacing of the track, but was later adjusted to include new concrete below the track as well due to multiple cracks found within it. Other facets of the project included improving the existing lane for the long jump/triple jump and adding a second lane, while also upgrading the shotput and discus throwing area and moving them behind one of the endzones.

The project was initially projected to be complete in June, but has since been pushed to late July. Completion will likely be delayed again due to the soil issue, according to Irwin.