Hickory Sun

Alexander County Schools District allocated a total of $24 million from state funds to salary in the 2022-23 school year, according to data gathered by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

This sum represents a 1.3% increase when compared to the $23.7 million spent the previous year on salary.

Among the various expenditures, the largest expenditure from state funds was $24 million for salary, followed by employee benefits on which $11.4 million was spent, and purchased services with $816,477. Additionally, expenditures for supplies and materials and capital outlay were $807,919 and $13,716, respectively.

The North Carolina House and Senate have presented different proposals for the state's budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year. The House plan allocates over $18.5 billion, calling for the restoration of master's pay for teachers and additional increases in state and school employees. The Senate proposal, on the other hand, maintains the spending level of $17.9 billion approved in the 2023 budget with new bonuses for principals.

While a final decision on the budget is still pending, the Senate passed a separate bill to ensure at least the level of education funding established in 2023. This would allow school districts to proceed with pay raises starting July 1, subject to the governor's approval. The raises would be retroactive. Negotiations between the House and Senate for a compromise budget are ongoing. If an agreement is not reached, the existing 2023 budget will remain in effect.

Category	Spending in 2021-22	Spending in 2022-23	% Difference
Purchased Services	$417,785	$816,477	95.4%
Other	$350	$600	71.4%
Capital Outlay	$8,033	$13,716	70.7%
Employee Benefits	$10,718,629	$11,428,739	6.6%
Salary	$23,670,522	$23,984,986	1.3%
Supplies and Materials	$1,185,713	$807,919	-31.9%