By a unanimous 5-0 vote, the Mathews School Board adopted its proposed $17.2 million budget Tuesday night, a budget that includes a 13 percent raise for its teachers and other division employees.

The budget now heads to the county board of supervisors for its consideration. The county board has a budget work session scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12. A hearing on the county budget and its accompanying tax rates will be held on April 15.

While there was unanimity in the final vote Tuesday night, the school board meeting in the Mathews High School media center began with some question as to whether it should ask for the full 13 percent in the 2019-2020 budget.

As the board set about approving its Jan. 29 meeting minutes, school board member Jeanice Sadler asked that her comments be included where she stated that a 5-6 percent salary increase was “more reasonable” this time around and that, with a pair of bonds to be paid off in the coming year, more funds would be ...