Bradley County Commissioner Adam LoweCLEVELAND, Tenn. -- Bradley County education officials want to hire a few more guidance counselors, offer school system employees a raise and tackle a few small capital projects in the coming budget year.
In a meeting with Bradley County commissioners earlier this week, schools administrators announced plans to increase service levels, energy efficiency and safety on Bradley school campuses while staying within a limited budget.
"What makes a great school system is great people," said Johnny McDaniel, director of the county school system. "That's what we try to do in Bradley County: Hire the best people, the best teachers for our children."
He said the proposed budget calls for an across-the-board 3 percent raise for system employees.
Staff salaries make up 80 percent of the school budget, said Rick Smith, financial director for the system.
The county system tries to stay competitive with Cleveland City Schools to keep the best teachers, although with fewer resources, he said.
The county schools plan to add two middle school guidance counselors, a special education instructor and four part-time special education assistants.
The additional guidance counselors will mean that each grade in the county's two middle schools -- Ocoee and Lake Forest -- will have a guidance counselor.
The counselor efforts were applauded by Commissioner Adam Lowe, who said guidance was critical to students' future achievement in higher education and in the workplace.
"We can never devalue what takes place at that level of education in our county," Lowe said. "I just commend you guys for adequately staffing that position, because the demand we see in Bradley County is [for] a competent and intelligent workforce."
The proposed budget also calls for new athletic field lighting for Bradley Central High School and Lake Forest Middle School, Smith said.
Age, energy efficiency and safety are the main reasons for the upgrades, said McDaniel, who added that Bradley Central's lights were installed when the South Lee Highway campus was built in 1972.
The new lights will cost about $66,000 each year for five years, Smith said.
He said the time also has come to make changes to many of Bradley Central's heating and air-conditioning units, some of which are 30 years old.
Commissioner Jeff Morelock said he understood the need for the county's students and teachers to have adequate facilities.
Bradley County commissioners said they planned to meet with school officials again in a few weeks to review the proposed budget in more detail.
Paul Leach is based in Cleveland. Email him at paul.leach.press@gmail.com.