One of the outgoing board’s priorities was to implement an increase for these district professions.
New Hanover County Schools Superintendent Dr. Chris Barnes praised the members for approving the increase.
“Speaking for the staff here at the school system, this is a significant move forward. I don't know of any other system that's doing it this way, and I think it's important that we recognize the work that we're doing,” he said.
Starting in December, the district will give a 4% bump to occupational therapists and exceptional children TAs, and a 7.8% increase for physical therapists.
The incoming board will decide in April whether those increases will be retroactive for all of 2026, meaning back pay from the beginning of this school year.
Barnes said approving retroactive pay now would be a problem.
“I am concerned that we won't be able to do the retroactive pay without reaching into fund balance. So, I want the board to be fully aware. Right now, my recommendation was to at least do it moving forward, and see whether or not we get to the end of the year with enough funding to go retroactive,” he said.
Barnes added that if they don’t have enough funds to cover the increases moving forward, another option would be to do a hiring freeze. Barnes also said that widespread mold issues across the district’s buildings hurt their ability to pay for more of those raises this year.
The estimated total cost for these increases is $233,400. Most of that is budgeted for the EC TAs ($194,280), followed by occupational therapists ($22,800) and physical therapists ($16,320). A later vote for retroactive pay would cost more.
According to the district’s documents on the pay increases, 11 occupational therapists will receive the increase, as well as three physical therapists and 194 EC TAs.
In an NHCS memo explaining the rationale behind the new policy, they state that it will help them compete more effectively with private-market demand for those positions. They also want to avoid “reliance on contracted OT and PT services” because they can be more costly, and claimed that this “competitive salary structure may improve recruitment and retention, decrease a reliance on contracted providers, and strengthen the continuity of services for students.”
In the memo for EC TAs, the district is also trying to increase retention through this pay increase. The memo also includes a provision for TAs to cover for an EC TA who is out, and they receive a $50 stipend for each day that employee is absent.
NHCS Chief Financial Officer Ashley Sutton wrote in an email that “the new salaries will be included in next year's budget and going forward.”
The district hopes to deliver the school’s budget to the county commissioners on April 15.
