BLOUNTVILLE — The Sullivan County Commission meeting on Thursday saw significant attendance from staff members of Sullivan County Schools and Blountville Little League, with many speaking during public comment in support of their respective organizations. On Thursday, the commission reviewed the newly proposed 2024-25 school budget, which utilizes $6.8 million from the schools’ fund balance to provide a 15% raise for school employees.
Jonathan Fields, principal of Sullivan Central Middle School, said the school had been asked not to compare their finances to those of the city. Agreeing that this request was fair, he said he decided to conduct his own analysis, comparing school salaries of neighboring Washington County and Sullivan County. “I began looking at my own salary, which last year was $97,836,” Fields said.
“In Washington County, it would be $109,408 for having a bachelor’s degree. I would’ve gotten $6,000 more for having a doctorate degree and $3,000 more for ABA attendance.” He also compared teachers’ salaries, noting that a teacher with 10 years of experience and a master’s degree in Sullivan County would earn $55,186, while in Washington County, they would have earned $58,344 last year, with an increase to $60,439 this upcoming year.
Additionally, Fields pointed out that a custodian at Sullivan County Schools for 10 years started at $13 per hour this year, compared to $16.32 per hour in Washington County. “I wanted to compare apples to apples.