By Bill Zeeble, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-857350.mp3
Dallas, TX –
The Dallas school board today considers an across-the-board 3 percent pay raise for teachers and support staff. When teachers saw raises in recent years, support workers did not. KERA's Bill Zeeble has more.
The state funded some teachers raises in the past, but employees like assistants, kitchen and clerical workers, and other professional staff saw no raise.
There's no formal opposition to the agenda item, but after last years financial emergency that forced hundreds of layoffs and a budget scrub, it's not certain trustees will approve these raises. Last year, Superintendent Michael Hinojosa revealed a surprise 64 million dollar shortfall. There was the risk of another 84 million dollar deficit unless the district drastically cut the budget. Now that it has, Hinojosa is predicting a 20 million dollar surplus by the end this fiscal year.
Trustees will also consider naming a school for the newest U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic to serve on the nation's highest court. They'll also consider naming a school for Dallasite Ray Hunt Sr.