By JOYANNA LOVE/Senior Staff Writer

Recommendations for updating the Chilton County Schools salary schedule for 12-month employees were discussed during a work session on July 17.

The recommendations will be considered for a vote on July 18 at 4 p.m. in the board of Education meeting room on Lay Dam Road.

Twelve-month employees include principals, central office, maintenance and transportation.

“They start July 1, so really this upcoming payroll we are going to have to have all of our information correct,” Chief School Finance Officer LaVerne Williams said.

Williams said these proposed changes were the first part of in depth look and updating of the salary schedule. She said the changes are needed for several reasons.

“A lot of the scales, we only had one step, which is illegal, so we actually needed more than one step,” Williams said.

Some of the pay scales did not have the same percentage in between each new step. If the proposed changes are made, this would be fixed.

“A lot of our employees had daily rates and they needed to be changed to hourly rates,” Williams said.

A daily rate is used for employees that are exempt from overtime. An hourly rate is used for those that would qualify for overtime. Williams said bookkeepers were manually calculating overtime.

Hourly rates will also be updated to be comparable between bookkeeper positions no matter how many months they worked.

A recommendation is also being made to place the maintenance director on scale where he could advance.

“We asked since Mr. (Freddy) Smith is not in Central Admin but he is considered a supervisor that he be put on a step scale,” Chilton County Schools Superintendent Tommy Glasscock said.

Approving these changes to the 12-month employee salary schedule is estimated to cost $30,000, according to Williams.

“One of them was on transportation (supervisor’s)where the salary was quoted wrong … there was a $1,000 discrepancy in Ms. (Adriane) Dennis,” Glasscock said.

The amount is actually $1,000 less than the amount that had been listed.

Standard pay for the Career Tech route bus drivers will be established and additional pay calculated by mile.

Williams said some employees will be grandfathered in, meaning their pay will not change, because they are making more than they would make with the salary schedule changes.

“No one will have a decrease in pay,” Williams said.

Academic supplements are being proposed for teachers that lead lead out-of-county trips for clubs outside of the school day. Glasscock proposed $26,000 be allotted for this. If approved, teachers would need to apply for the supplement through their principal.

Glasscock told Board of Education members there would be some corrections in the cost to implement the changes presented at the July 18 meeting.

A salary level for those holding a doctorate has also been created.

Williams said these positions are based on rank and certifications or degrees that the employee holds.

No changes are being recommended for 12-month teachers or nurses.

Budget hearings, which are open to the public, have been scheduled for Aug. 15 at 2 p.m. and Aug. 22 at 2 p.m.