Community Owned. Local News. Burke County, NC.
On June 24, the Burke County Board of Education met to finalize one school year and plan for the next. Key agenda items included discussing changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) affecting some district employees and approving a contract extension and benefits increase for Superintendent Dr. Mike Swan.
FLSA Rule Changes: Finance Officer Keith Lawson explained that federal rule changes to the FLSA will reclassify some 10-month salaried school employees to hourly pay, effective July 1. Impacted employees will need to clock in and out and will be eligible for overtime pay or compensatory time. Teachers are not affected.
Pay Schedule Adjustments: Starting August 2025, reclassified employees will be paid in arrears instead of in advance, receiving their first full paycheck in October and their final check of the school year in June.
Affected Positions: Positions impacted include 10-month office support, teacher assistants, therapists and therapy assistants, and child nutrition staff. Most 11- and 12-month positions will see little to no change.
Superintendent Contract Extension: The board praised Superintendent Dr. Mike Swan's dedication and approved a one-year contract extension, a $20,000 salary increase or retirement contribution, five additional personal leave days, and a $300 increase to his vehicle allowance.
A full version of this story will be included in Saturday's edition of The Paper.
