(WSLS 10) - Teachers in one part of our area are consistently being paid less than surrounding districts, according to members of the Virginia Education Association.
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The figures examine estimated salaries for fiscal year 2015. It compared 11 localities including Roanoke City, Franklin County, Lynchburg and Bedford County.
During a public meeting on Monday, the Bedford County Board of Supervisors heard concerns about the proposed budget. Residents and educators asked supervisors to invest more money into the school system and teacher salaries.
Fred Glover is a representative for the Virginia Education Association. Before the public meeting, he handed out data that examines the projected salaries for 11 area school districts. Glover said, based on factors such as experience and pay, Bedford ranks near the bottom of the for salaries.
According to the data, the projected average salary for Bedford teachers with five years of experience is $37, 627 which is the same as a teacher who is just starting out in the school system. For the last several years, Bedford has not had step increases, like surrounding districts. Educators said without competitive salaries, it's hard to retain experienced teachers.
As local leaders examine the budget, many hope to see more money invested in teachers.
"What we need to concentrate on is doing those step increases and performance based increases" said Tammy Parker, Bedford County Supervisors.
Officials said the proposed budget for the Bedford County School system is close to $106 million. School leaders hope to approve a final budget sometime in May.