Lexington-Richland School District Five board members approved a budget amendment request that will add positions and provide supplemental pay for staff.

The administration presented three funding requests: $1 million for supplemental pay for teachers and staff to provide after-school tutoring and enrichment for Tier 2 academic interventions; $300,000 to fund eight additional behavioral expectation coaches to address level 1 behavioral misconducts in schools; and $150,000 to fund a coordinator of technology position.

Tina McCaskill, the district’s chief academics officer, told board members the after-school tutoring program will be available to students in first through 12th grades. The program will focus on English language arts and math for students in first through eighth grades and all four content areas for high school students.

Study sessions will also be available for advanced placement students.

Chief Financial Officer Heather Tucker said administration is not asking to add new money to the district’s $250 million budget. Instead, the district is requesting to transfer funds from the assigned fund balance to support the programs through the end of the school year. 

“What we’re actually doing is implementing a transfer of $1.45 million from fund balance to take care of current expenditures,” Superintendent Akil E. Ross said. 

Board member Catherine Huddle disagreed, saying the request would increase the budget.

Tucker added she does not believe the district will exceed the $1.4 million over budget but expressed concern the district could receive less money through state allocations.

Huddle also raised concerns about adding more positions.

“If we’re worried about discipline, how about smaller class sizes? If we’re worried about academics, how about smaller class sizes?” she said. “We need to quit adding positions that are not teachers. We’re here to teach kids.”

Ross clarified the positions are temporary and have been requested since the beginning of the school year. He also said the district is not adding as many positions as it may appear, particularly for academic interventions and after-school tutoring, noting the supplemental pay will go to current teachers who provide tutoring. 

Board member Mike Satterfield said these requests will improve academic outcomes and compensate teachers for their additional work.

“I think this is something we should be embracing, and I hope that we’ll continue to look for more ways of helping kids do better academically,” he said. “If the return is that great, if it’s helping that many kids, then we should be all in.”

Ross added the district exceeded its budget last year when staff members received a $1,500 payment from the fund balance, a decision that was approved unanimously without discussion.

“If we did it then, I don’t understand how we can’t give this help to our people right now,” Ross said.

The board approved the request by a 4-2 vote, with Huddle and Jason Baynham voting against it.