The Mathews County School Board is considering a 2 percent pay hike, plus step, for all its employees, as well as restoring several instructional and support positions lost during the recent economic downturn, as it moves forward in the 2016-2017 budget process.

The board held its first budget work session Tuesday afternoon in the Mathews High School media center. Initially, Superintendent of Schools Nancy Welch presented a budget that included only a salary scale step increase for division’s employees; board vice chair Linda Hodges moved during the work session that an across-the-board 2 percent raise be added to the draft budget for consideration.

The roughly $14 million budget includes the addition of a media specialist at Thomas Hunter Middle School, a reading specialist for Lee-Jackson Elementary School and two special education teacher assistants (to be distributed among the three county schools, as needed), as well as changing one custodian position from a 10-month to 12...