Board approves up to $5,000 stipend to expand dual-credit teaching options

The McCreary County Board of Education approved a stipend policy to incentivize district teachers to offer dual-credit courses and expand students’ access to associate-degree pathways.

"If we did a $5,000 stipend...anyone who does not receive (an external stipend) would match up to $5,000," a staff presenter said while discussing options for partnering with Somerset Community College, University of the Cumberlands and Eastern Kentucky University. The board amended the agenda item to allow action and then approved the stipend policy by voice vote.

Charlotte, a district staff member who helped develop the proposal, said the stipend recognizes extra work and new requirements for teachers who teach college-level classes, including creating new syllabi and working with learning management systems. She noted that Eastern Kentucky University currently pays stipends to some teachers, and the district’s proposal aims to support those who would not otherwise receive external compensation.

Board members asked about which institutions would be credited for classes and whether the stipend would apply only to teachers who actually teach the course; staff said credits would be computed through the partnering institution and stipends would be for the employees teaching the course.

The motion to approve the stipend passed; the board did not specify a funding source in the meeting record.