Joint statement regarding school funding and teacher supplements

Joint statement from Burke County Board of Commissioners and Burke County Board of Education regarding school funding and teacher supplements

MORGANTON, NC – With the passing of Senate Bill 68 into law (SL 2023-143), Burke County Public Schools plans to increase supplemental pay for teachers. The Burke County Board of Education and the Burke County Board of Commissioners came together in early September for a joint resolution to repeal 40-year-old legislation that restricted funding streams for Burke County Public Schools. Under the previous law, certain sales taxes in Burke County were restricted to school capital projects. Now that the old legislation has been repealed, the school district has the choice to use the funds for operational expenses. With the help of Burke County Commissioners, $1.5 million can now go toward teacher supplements, which will impact recruiting and retention of qualified educators. Both boards worked together diligently to research and repeal the decades’ long law now aligning Burke County to fund schools as most other counties in the state. 

Burke County Board of Commissioners Chair Scott Mulwee said, “By reconciling differences and working together to re-establish local control of school funding, we can now move forward and do what is right for teachers by increasing their supplements and students by increasing per pupil funding.”

Burke County Board of Education Chair Wendi Craven said, “We appreciate stakeholder feedback during the process and for county commissioners providing the opportunity to the school board to make this decision that will benefit teachers and our schools for decades to come. We would also like to thank Senator Warren Daniel and Representative Hugh Blackwell for their work in getting this action swiftly through legislation and repealing the decade’s old laws.”