Cannon County assistant principals ask board to raise stipend to $3,000; estimate ~$27,854 cost

A group of Cannon County assistant principals told the school board at a budget meeting that their duties and local pay comparisons justify a significant stipend increase.

"We're here for these kids," Tammy Smith, an assistant principal at Canyon County Middle School, told the board as she introduced a team of APs from across the district. Smith said the current AP stipend is $1,100 and the group is asking the board to increase it to $3,000 with slight contract-month differences by school level (elementary, middle, high school).

Smith and colleagues listed responsibilities that go beyond classroom supervision — serving as testing coordinators, attending IEP and 504 meetings, handling Title IX and school-improvement tasks, covering classes and even custodial duties when needed. They said neighboring districts pay APs substantially more, and presented comparative figures to the board.

A staff member who reviewed the comparative data said the analysis used information from five districts and compared AP supplements to a 10-year teacher salary average, and noted that differences in contract months (for example, some elementary APs working 10 months) affect percent comparisons.

The APs asked the board to consider a $3,000 stipend, which they said would increase the district cost by about $27,854. Board members and staff said the request would be added to the March budget estimates so the board can see the financial impact.

Next steps: the assistant principals will provide final figures for the March meeting; the board flagged the item for inclusion in the March 24 budget discussion with further refinement in April.