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Posted: Aug 11, 2026 5:42 AMUpdated: Aug 11, 2026 5:42 AM
Caney Valley School Teachers May Not Receive Promised Raise
Nathan Thompson
Teachers in the Caney Valley School District may not receive $1,000 raises approved by the school board just five weeks ago as the rural district grapples with a growing budget shortfall.
Our partners at News On 6 report the school board on Monday postponed a vote that would have rescinded the salary increases for certified teachers. The board did not eliminate the raises, but members also stopped short of guaranteeing they will be paid.
The issue is expected to return to the board next month after district officials receive more information from the district’s auditor.
Caney Valley has been working to close a budget gap of about $400,000 after enrollment fell more than expected last fall, leaving the district with more staff than needed for its student population.
Superintendent Steve Cantrell met with the district’s auditor last week and learned the district needs to make several hundred thousand dollars in additional cuts beyond what officials had initially anticipated.
The district has already cut more than $1 million by leaving positions vacant after employees resigned or retired.
Cantrell says additional reductions are expected.
“It is tough. It is tough,” Cantrell told News On 6. “And the budget cuts are not done. I mean, we know we’ve got to make some additional cuts. But that’s never easy.”
The financial strain has left the district weighing whether it can afford the raises approved in July.
Despite the uncertainty over salaries, the board Monday approved the purchase of a new school bus. The bus will be paid for with bond money, which by law cannot be used to pay employee salaries.
Caney Valley’s first day of school is Wednesday, Aug. 12.
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