During a budget work session held last Friday evening at Mathews High School, the Mathews County School Board agreed to include a 2 percent pay increase for all school employees, plus step, in its draft 2014-2015 fiscal year budget.

The work session was conducted immediately before the regular monthly meeting; both meetings had been rescheduled because of snow.

The draft budget called for a 3.18 percent increase in school funding for the upcoming fiscal year, with a total budget of $13.26 million. However, Kristi Anthony, the school system’s business and finance director, said on Wednesday that the wage increase the board requested will cause that amount to change, and it will be reflected in the next draft the board will see when it meets at 4 p.m. on March 4 at Mathews High School.

The current year’s budget is $12.85 million. As presented to the board on Friday, the proposed increase without the raise would represent $408,290 in addition...