Child Nutrition Program workers got a big boost towards receiving raises at the Selma City School board meeting Tuesday evening.

The board passed a new salary schedule for cafeteria workers as part of a new all-inclusive salary matrix.

“These people deserve it,” said Selma City Schools CNP manager Smyly Kilpatrick. “They’ve worked many hours, and they’ve never gotten a raise. I’ve been here 10 years, and they’ve never had one.”

The CNP budget is $69,000 more for the 2008-09 fiscal year. CNP workers are in a different category because they make their own money.

“We make the money ourselves by cooking and making the meals,” said Kilpatrick. “Everything we’re paid comes out of the money we earn.”

Three workers were removed from the budget, and have been reclassified to the general Selma City Schools budget. The three workers removed were not full-time workers, and their combined salaries was less than $25,000.

Kilpatrick created the matrix. It aims to correct an environment where senior-level employees made less than incoming teachers. Its pay scale is based on percentage and years of service.

The matrix starts new worker-level employees at $9 per hour, and new management-level employees at $12 per hour. Over time, workers can see a salary increase of up to 20 percent, and management may receive as a much as a 50 percent salary increase.

The acceptance of the matrix is not final for other classified personnel. That will be left to the incoming superintendent, Austin N. Obasohan.

The budget may be amended at any time, but needs to be turned into the state by Sept. 15.