Catawba County Schools request $2 million in funding

Catawba County Schools board has requested an additional $2 million in funding from the county commissioners for the upcoming 2023-24 school year. Of the requested funds, $626,000 would be allocated to creating 10 more teaching positions to reduce class sizes, as well as 16 part-time office assistant positions in the elementary schools. The remaining funds will largely be used to cover salary increases, in accordance with the budget request document approved on Monday. County commissioners, who are responsible for setting the county tax rate, are being asked to raise the county’s portion of the school system budget from $34 million to nearly $36 million. This request comes in anticipation of the state’s minimum wage increase to $15 an hour for school district employees in July 2022, which has an impact on the school system budget. Catawba County Schools Chief Financial Officer Karla Aldridge has assured that there will be no increases to the retirement rate or health insurance rate, and that the $7,397 per employee health insurance rate will remain the same.