- The Newberry Community School Board set its teacher salary scale at 5% above Alachua County Public Schools to attract and retain staff.
- The board approved reducing office staff positions from three to two, planning to hire a finance specialist with budget management experience.
- The board unanimously adopted four new policies covering foundational rules, public records, financial controls, and contractual agreements.
The Newberry Community School Board (NCSB) acted on several items during a meeting on Monday, including setting its teacher salary scale at 5% more than Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS), approving personnel changes to office staff and adopting four proposed policies.
Teacher salary scale
The teacher salary scale wasn’t listed on the meeting agenda, but it was brought up by Principal Lacy Roberts during her update portion of the meeting, when discussing an upcoming Q&A session with teachers. She said she has received a lot of questions regarding teacher salaries.
“The teacher salary scale that was in the original plans…is a few years old,” Roberts said. “And fortunately for Alachua County [Public Schools] employees, the district has given two raises since then.”
The most recent pay bump for ACPS employees came in November after the School Board of Alachua County (SBAC) approved a 3% salary increase.
“I know the board members’ interest is to provide…as much of a salary as we can,” Roberts said. “We put the message that we wanted to offer employees a higher salary than Alachua County [Public Schools].”
Roberts’ recommendation was to set the teacher salary scale at 4% more than the school district. To be 4% above ACPS, it would cost Newberry Elementary School (NES) an additional $93,793.60, she said.
Board Member Chuck Clemons motioned to go 5% higher than the school district.
“When we were making our pitch [for the charter school], one of the pitches were benefits, retirement and then salary above the normal,” he said, adding he understood that ACPS employees have received raises since then, but that shouldn’t impact the board’s decision. “So, whatever raises [the school district gives], ours should be more than what that one would be in order to keep our word.”
Roberts said going 5% above ACPS would cost NES an additional $115,682, a $22,000 difference from going 4% higher.
“We can adjust $22,000 somewhere else in the budget, and I think we’ll come out of the chute looking really good,” Clemons said.
The board ultimately voted 5-0 to set the salary scale at 5% more than ACPS based on an average teacher salary and 35 instructors.
With the vote, the average starting salary for a teacher with a bachelor’s degree at Newberry Community School would be $51,838.50, according to Roberts.
Roberts said she plans to process the internal teaching candidates now, noting they won’t fill every teaching slot. She said she’ll see how the school’s main enrollment period (Feb. 1 to March 1) goes and then will begin filling positions from there.
Personnel changes to office staff
Also, during the meeting, the board unanimously approved dropping one of the three office positions allotted in the budget.
Roberts said $99,200 was budgeted for the three roles. She asked to define the three positions into two roles, with one being called a finance specialist.
“That person would do the database role,” Roberts said.
Roberts said she has been in contact with a person from Newberry who has years of experience managing district-wide budgets and grants, capital outlay, etc.
“She has an exceptional background that I think could be very beneficial for our charter,” Roberts said.
With the board’s approval, the office staff will consist of the finance specialist and Roberts’ executive assistant, Amber Yannone. Salaries for both positions combined come in at $97,920, Roberts said.
Roberts said she doesn’t plan to hire the finance specialist until July 1, 2026.
Board adopts policies
During the meeting, the NCSB also unanimously adopted four policies. They include a foundational policy, public records request policy, financial control/procurement policy and a policy related to contractual agreements/authorized signers.
“Some of these policies were carved out and will be more robust as we continue to adopt policies,” Board Chair Derek Danne said.
Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.
As a retired ACSB teacher with 37 years of high school experience, I have closely observed the evolution of educational methodologies. Throughout my career, Guidance maintained a list of parents eager to enroll their students in my Math classes. The effective approach I implemented is precisely what Newberry Charter is embracing—a disciplined learning environment with clear behavioral expectations and accountability for academic performance. In my classroom, exams mattered, homework was essential, and a positive learning attitude was a priority. My students understood that when they entered, they needed to take their seats and be prepared, as we maximized every moment of our time together to achieve our objectives. Pride stemmed from accomplishments and consistent daily growth—there were no exceptions. Results were paramount!
Unfortunately, public schools have become compromised by social experiments, straying from their core mission. I am confident that Newberry will be a highly successful and sought-after institution for educating young students.