The Gloucester School Board gave final approval to its $53.9 million fiscal year 2016 budget plan Tuesday night with a 4-3 vote at the T.C. Walker Education Center.

Board members Kim Hensley, Anita Parker and Kevin Smith did not support the plan, which does not include an increase in employee compensation. The board members who did approve it said they would make increased compensation a budget priority for FY2017.

“I don’t support this budget. I hate this budget. It’s embarrassing to us,” said Hensley. More and more is being asked of staffers in every branch of the school division, she added, while not increasing compensation.
Hensley said the approximately $235,000 the division would receive in additional state dollars if it did provide a raise gave the board the ability to give a pay hike without cutting programs. “And we’re still choosing not to because we’re worried about the future,” she said.

The board had sought $1.3 million mo...