Just a couple of weeks after reversing a move to eliminate more than 160 positions because of financial constraints, Jefferson County Supt. Craig Pouncey has presented a proposal that would increase supplements and/or salaries given to certain job classifications — a move that would give more money to some people who almost lost their jobs.

Pouncey’s proposal was given at the county board of education’s regular monthly committee meeting on Tuesday. The move came because JefCoEd is losing staffers at all levels to neighboring systems, mainly because those systems pay more — sometimes substantially more.

The added supplements would go to a variety of positions, from school custodians to athletic directors, and would also include some administrative positions at the central office.

The proposal was met with skepticism from several board members, including President Dean Taylor.

“I don’t see how we can tell people we’re doing this, after we almost cut all these jobs because we couldn’t afford them,” Taylor said.

One of the jobs targeted for higher pay is that of school office coordinator, a position that was slated to be wiped out entirely by Pouncey’s financial improvement plan. That move was first approved by the board, then rescinded later after a task force found that substantial savings could still be achieved without layoffs.

JefCoEd Athletics Director Ken Storie said that coaching positions were particularly head hit, with two main issues: a much lower supplement for athletic directors than neighboring systems, and a cap of 16 years on supplement increases.

“We’ve had eight AHSAA state champions in the past dozen years, and only two of those coaches are still with us,” Storie said. “They’re patient, but they just want to stay in the game. There’s no swapping out for experience in coaching.”

The proposal will come up for action by the board in their next full meeting on June 18.

In a special called meeting after the committee sessions Tuesday, the board awarded a bid to K&A Builders of Tuscaloosa for construction of the 10-classroom expansion at Fultondale Elementary School. The cost will be $2.14 million, which Pouncey said is under what the system had budgeted for the project.

The board also approved appointments for five new principals, including:

• Larry Brad Robertson at Bragg Middle School

• Christi Hamilton at Kermit Johnson Elementary

• Kalvin Eaton at Minor High

• Jonathan Shelby at Bottenfield Middle

• Serra Peterson at E.B. Erwin Middle

Coy McIntosh was transferred from an assistant principal’s post at Pinson Valley to the same job at Kermit Johnson. Tanja Tyus will replace McIntosh, moving from Fultondale High to Pinson Valley.