Union County's school board rejected $3.8 million in county funding earmarked for teacher pay raises, then cut traffic directors at 11 schools.

Both decisions landed at the same Aug. 4 Board of Education meeting in Monroe. Residents can weigh in on both at the board's next meeting in September.

The $3.8 million vote

The Union County Board of Commissioners set aside $3.8 million in the 2026-27 fiscal year budget specifically for teacher and teacher assistant supplement pay. The catch: UCPS had to sign an interlocal agreement requiring the district to provide line-item budgets showing how it spends local, state and federal funding, and to disclose the number of employees funded from local tax dollars.

The board split 4-4, killing the agreement. Vice Chairman Matt Helms, who represents the Waxhaw area, voted yes alongside John Kirkpatrick IV, Sarah May and Joe Morreale. Chairman Jimmy Bention Sr., Sandra Greene, Todd Price and Barry Tucker voted no.

The disagreement traces to 2025, when commissioners believed they were funding raises for classroom teachers and teaching assistants. UCPS had historically defined "teacher supplement" to include a broader group of certified staff, including nurses, counselors, media coordinators, psychologists and social workers.

"If the teachers want to blame anybody, blame the county commissioners," Bention said at the Aug. 4 meeting, as the Charlotte Weekly reported Aug. 11. "It's sad for me to say that, but we have been made to look like we don't care about teachers."

After rejecting the agreement, the board voted to fund the supplements itself using $5.6 million of the county's local funding increase, $5.56 million redirected from other budget lines and $1.7 million from the district's fund balance.

Traffic directors gone at 11 schools

UCPS also cut traffic director positions at 11 schools for the 2026-27 school year. The cuts save roughly $200,000, according to the Waxhaw Wall.

Waxhaw Elementary was initially slated to lose its traffic director entirely. After the Town of Waxhaw and the North Carolina Department of Transportation met with district staff and raised safety concerns, UCPS restored the position for morning drop-off only. Afternoon dismissal remains unstaffed. The district also reinstated the traffic director at Antioch Elementary, WSOC-TV reported.

Waxhaw Police Chief Dexter Wilson warned that rerouting school traffic to N.C. 75 and Old Providence Road would worsen an intersection already prone to left-turn and right-angle crashes. A roundabout is planned there for 2028, but until then, Wilson said an officer directs traffic at the intersection each morning.

At the Aug. 4 meeting, Waxhaw parent Katie Fisher asked the board, "What could be more vital than someone overseeing the safety in and out of the school?" as the Charlotte Weekly reported Aug. 10.

Superintendent Dr. Andrew Houlihan said on the first day of school, Aug. 24, that the district would "continue to evaluate and really monitor …" the changes, telling WSOC-TV he was not aware of any issues so far.

How to speak at the Sept. 2 meeting

Residents can sign up for three minutes of public comment at the 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2 meeting at the UCPS Professional Development Center, 721 Brewer Drive, Monroe. Sign-ups are available in person up to 15 minutes before the start, by phone at 704-296-9898 before 2 p.m. that day, or online.