After a tight budget cycle in the spring, the Hamilton County school board is beginning its budget talks earlier this year, with increasing staff compensation named as a top priority.
In May, the Hamilton County school board approved a budget that balanced a multimillion-dollar deficit, which district officials attributed to a combination of lower-than-expected local tax revenues and rising health care costs. The final budget did not include an across-the-board raise or pay step increases based on years of service.
At Thursday’s Finance Committee meeting, both school board members and district officials said increasing staff compensation is a priority for the 2026-27 academic year budget.
“Our business is teachers, and that’s what makes this whole thing work,” school board member Ben Daugherty, R-Signal Mountain, said. “If we’re not retaining and recruiting the best talent, then you’re going to be in a difficult situation throughout the year with not having the right people and enough people in those positions.”