School Board approves salary scale updates, bonuses, higher hourly wage for trip bus drivers

The Warren County School Board met on Wednesday, November 2, for less than an hour and approved several items. From left to right: Andrea Lo, Antoinette Funk, Kristen Pence, and Melanie Salins. School Board member Ralph Rinaldi was absent.

Among several action items, the Warren County School Board on Wednesday, November 2, approved a new hourly wage for bus drivers who take on extra driving for Warren County Public Schools (WCPS).

During its meeting, the School Board voted 4-0 to raise the current hourly rate to $20 from $14 for bus drivers who cover the transport of WCPS students and employees to and from sporting events and other activities. Present to vote were School Board Chair Kristen Pence and board members Antoinette Funk, Andrea Lo, and Melanie Salins. Board Vice Chair Ralph Rinaldi was absent this week.

“We are experiencing a shortage of after-hour trip drivers for activities and field trips,” said WCPS Assistant Superintendent for Administration George “Buck” Smith, who pointed out that the current WCPS $14-per-hour rate isn’t even close to the contractual hourly rate for a bus driver having zero years of experience who starts working at WCPS for $19.64 an hour.

“Our current activity trips and field trips hourly rate… asks our drivers to work extra hours at a significantly reduced rate from the starting salary rate,” Smith said. “This is no longer enticing for after-hours activity driving.”

Smith also noted that surrounding counties have adjusted bus driver trip rates. For instance, Shenandoah County Public Schools pays $20 per hour, and Frederick County Public Schools pays $20.75 per hour.

“This adjustment will significantly help us in recruiting after-hour drivers to serve our students’ needs for their extra-curricular activities,” he told the School Board.

Following a motion by Lo to approve, with a second by Salins, the motion carried.

In other action, the School Board unanimously approved salary scale supplement updates and certain employee bonuses.

WCPS Personnel Director Shane Goodwin (above) presented the salary scale supplements action item, saying several supplements originally approved by the School Board could not be awarded due to the school division’s reduction in funding for operations.

However, “the school division has realized savings within the budget from lag pay, staff turnover, and current vacancies to date that will now allow for the supplements to be issued,” Goodwin said.

The following supplements will be awarded to specific WCPS employees: Middle School Assistant Principals receive a $5,000 supplement, Instructional Resource Team members receive an additional $2,500, and the Dean of Students gets an additional $2,500.

The final adjustment to the 2022-2023 scales is the addition of the doctorate supplement to the Grade 30/ Therapist Scale to align the scale with all other scale supplements, said Goodwin.

After the meeting, Pence explained in an email that there has not been any increased funding for this school year’s budget from the Warren County Board of Supervisors (BOS). “The funds discussed at tonight’s meeting were all the result of things like staff turnover and unfilled positions,” she wrote in a Wednesday night email.

“We voted to use the money already in our budget and appropriated by the County to continue funding parts of our approved WCPS FY [fiscal year] 2022-2023 budget that has been held due to the lack of full funding,” Pence wrote, adding that the BOS did not approve $1.2 million of the WCPS requested budget.

Similarly, the School Board unanimously approved a one-time $500 employee bonus for part-time WCPS staff members employed on October 31, according to WCPS Superintendent Christopher Ballenger.

The total $14,532.75 cost to provide the one-time bonuses to 27 part-time employees—including cafeteria aides, car driver aides, an assistant athletic director, an English teacher, a secretary, and two vocational-technical education teachers — will be covered by savings from staff turnover in the Operating Fund Budget and the existing balance in the Cafeteria Fund, according to WCPS.

At the same time, the approved FY2023 State Budget and the approved FY2023 WCPS budget included funding for a $1,000 bonus to be paid to full-time employees, said Ballenger, who added that payment of this bonus — which also is for eligible staff employed on October 31 — is scheduled for November 21.

In other action, the School Board unanimously approved:

1.) Two separate 36-month contracts be awarded to Document Solutions Inc. for the lease of copiers at Skyline High School for $99,720 and at Skyline Middle School for $71,604.

2.) A membership payment of $17,521.49 for WCPS to continue participating in the Laurel Ridge Educational Consortium, a collaborative effort among Laurel Ridge Community College, WCPS, and several surrounding school districts (Fauquier, Frederick, Rappahannock, Shenandoah, and the City of Winchester) that offers local access to professional development training for all school system personnel. Pence: First Addendum Superintendent’s Contract = Budget Source will be from lag pay and staff turnover. Contacted attorney to review.

3.) An addendum to the superintendent’s contract regarding annual, sick, and personal leave.

4.) Acceptance with gratitude of donations to the Skyline Middle School library consisting of 50 books from Play Favorites, $500 from Consistent Voice Communications, and $50 from SSMG Concierge.

Community participation

Larry “Liberty Man” Johnson (above) of Front Royal, Va., who is a retired teacher, reverend, and farmer, personally invited School Board members and the public to attend a free dedication ceremony being held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 19, at Riverton Methodist Church to name bridges in Front Royal spanning the North and South Forks of the Shenandoah River in honor of Warren County founder Dr. Joseph Warren, Brig. General Daniel Morgan and all United States military veterans.

Johnson said that government officials, scholars, and a national author will be attending the event, which Pastor Allan Morrison of Christ Reigns Presbyterian Church in Winchester, Va will be presided over. The opening prayer will be given by Rev. Marc Roberson of Riverton Methodist Church, followed by the posting of colors by the James Wood II Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. Students from the Dominion Ridge Academy of Front Royal will lead the Pledge of Allegiance.

The bridge over the North Fork is named General Daniel Morgan and Veterans’ Memorial Bridge. The bridge over the South Fork is named the Major General Dr. Joseph Warren and Veterans’ Bridge.

“I am so pleased that the Board of Supervisors approved the naming of the bridges to include all veterans, from the Revolution to the present day and into the future,” Johnson said in a related statement.

Upcoming events
A Cyberbullying Forum is being held Thursday night, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., in the Warren County High School auditorium, which Board Chair Pence said: “is much needed.” WCPS staff are holding the event in conjunction with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office. WCPS Director of Special Services Michael Hirsch told the Royal Examiner this morning that more forums will be offered to provide support for the community. There will be a presentation followed by breakout sessions with information on parenting controls, monitoring, and other tips being offered by the Sheriff’s Office and WCPS guidance counselors. Just FYI: there’s also a regional semi-final volleyball game going on at the school, as well.

During his report, Ballenger said there is no school on Tuesday or Friday next week for Election Day and Veterans Day, which are held on November 8 and 11, respectively. Classes will be held as normal on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday next week. Thanksgiving Lunch will be held at all schools on November 17.

The School Board and BOS joint budget committee will meet again in December, and Funk said members will start working on next year’s budget for the school division. She said the committee members could not jointly meet in October or November.

To watch the School Board’s November 2 meeting in its entirety, go to https://wcps.new.swagit.com/videos/187812.