Board and LEA agree to restore bachelor and master stipends to pay from first professional cell in salary schedule

District staff proposed restoring the bachelor and master stipends so teachers receive those supplements starting on cell one of the salary schedule rather than waiting until placement in the professional column.

"We would like to pay them out starting on cell one," a district staff member said, explaining the change would help with recruiting because many new hires hold relevant master’s degrees but were previously placed in residency steps that did not pay the stipend.

Administrators reported that two employees would qualify for the bachelor stipend and seven would qualify for the master stipend under the change for recent hires. Trustees pressed staff for clarification about grandfathering and how prior hires were handled; staff said employees who received stipends prior to last year were grandfathered and that any previously missed cases would be corrected on review.

Board members indicated general agreement to proceed with the change and to correct any past cases where an eligible employee was not paid, while noting state reimbursement rules may lag for certain first-year placements. The board’s consensus was recorded during the meeting as approval to move forward with the change and related edits to the negotiated documents.

The district will apply the clarified language on the salary schedule and reconcile individual credit reviews where necessary. Staff will continue to audit prior hires’ records and correct payroll errors where they find eligible employees who were not paid the stipend.

The board moved to the next agenda item after the discussion; no formal ordinance or adoption timetable was specified at the meeting.