Mentor stipends debated; district to retain instructional-coach model and delay buddy stipends

Union negotiators proposed a three-tier mentoring stipend structure: $1,500 for year-one mentors, $750 for second-year mentors, and $500 for buddy mentors. The district said instructional coaches currently perform mentor facilitator duties as part of their daily responsibilities and cautioned that any paid stipends would generally be a district expense (state reimbursements shown historically but not guaranteed).

On the special-salary schedule covering extra-duty pay (sections B, C, D, E), negotiators suggested consolidating overlapping entries under a single level to reduce confusion; staff proposed specific mappings (add B/C/D items into subsection E and designate Kinder Jumpstart to be paid at the daily rate). The district committed to re-code extra-duty lines in the finance system this summer to better estimate costs and said Kinder Jumpstart would be paid at the agreed daily rate to reflect workload.

Outcome: Parties agreed to remove the buddy-mentor stipend from this year’s proposals and to work on consolidated schedule language; staff will return with recoded payroll data and clearer draft language.