Decisions regarding the salary schedule for staff in the Warren County R-III School District are being delayed.Representatives from the teachers association asked for an extension on finalizing the numbers during the monthly board meeting on May 11. They expressed dissatisfaction with where the salary schedule is in terms of the increase available in comparison to neighboring districts.“We’ve been told funding from the state will remain flat,” said teachers association representative Katie McDowell. “We’ve been told the only scenario available to us now is the proposed 2.5 percent increase option, which is lower than the increase last year. We feel this is a step backward from our goal to create a salary schedule to retain teachers.”Representative Debbie Toebben asked the district to evaluate where additional funds might be available and to give the association time to do the same.“We are asking the administration to go back to the negotiating table so we can continue the discussion,” said Toebben. “We feel there are still options that need to be explored.”Toebben said a compromise of a 3 percent increase would only involve $56,404 above the 2.5 percent increase.“The June 1 deadline (of next meeting) doesn’t give us enough time, so we would like to have an extension,” she added.Superintendent Jim Chandler said R-III is still waiting on budget details from the state before the district can proceed with making any determination about changes in the salary schedule.“Right now we’re still on hold,” said Chandler. “We can’t finalize anything until we know what money we’ll have coming from the state. We can only project.”Discussion took place during the meeting about repayment of the lease purchase for Warrior Ridge Elementary, which has two years remaining.Chandler said the district would like to be able to offer additional growth in the salary schedule, but time will tell what allotment is available for that.“The salary issue is ongoing and will always be something we negotiate,” said Chandler. “We are in a situation as a school district where we have to make sure we stay within the parameters of the dollars we’re given. We continually give raises and have even caught up to a few of the area districts we were once behind. We’ll continue to keep working.”Warren County R-III School District