Nearly 500 teachers, Gloucester County Public School system staff and community members crowded the T.C. Walker Education Center’s auditorium Tuesday night to show support for teacher compensation.

More than 30 people spoke during the joint meeting of the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors and the Gloucester School Board—all in favor of at least some raise for county teachers and support staff.

Superintendent of Schools Walter Clemons emphasized that employee compensation is the number-one priority in his proposed school system budget, which he presented Tuesday night to both boards and the public. His proposal calls for a $1.3 million increase in the local transfer to the schools over what was given last year, which includes a 6 percent raise for school staff.

School employees had not seen a raise since the recession began in 2008, other than a slight increase several years ago to help offset their Virginia Retirement System member share.

“We have to look at ...