­The following operational plan shall serve as implementing guidelines for the professional staff salary schedule adopted by the Board of Education:

1. The professional staff will be employed by the Board based on the recommendation of the superintendent.
2. Maintenance of the salary schedule is dependent on the local levy approvals and continued state financial support.
3. The minimum contract period for all full-time certificated personnel will be determined annually by the school district.
4. Experienced teachers who are new to the school district may receive credit for previous experience.  No one can advance more than one (1) step vertically. The salary a teacher will receive will be determined at the time the teacher contracts with the district, or by June 1 for tenured teachers.  A teacher cannot progress on the salary schedule after entering into a contract for a school year, unless authorized in the contract.
5. In order to advance on the salary schedule for completion of additional college graduate hours, professional staff must receive approval by the administration prior to enrolling in the course.
6. Each teacher may be assigned one (1) or more activities to sponsor without an increase in salary.
7. The Board of Education may recognize certification and teaching in high need areas on the salary schedule when it deems it necessary to secure or retain qualified personnel in any area where there is a shortage of qualified staff.

Hard-to-Staff Schools

The Board of Education may utilize a differentiated placement on the District’s salary schedule to increase compensation and to facilitate recruiting and retention of teachers in hard to staff subject areas and hard to staff schools.  No modifications will result in the demotion of any teacher on the salary schedule.  The Board of Education will take action on the District’s salary schedule after all schedule differentiations have been made.

Definitions

“Hard-to-Staff Schools” - attendance centers in which the percentage of certificated positions that were left vacant or were filled with a teacher not fully qualified in the prior academic year exceeds ten (10%) percent as reported to DESE.

“Hard-to-Staff Subject Areas” – Content areas for which positions were left open or were filled with a teacher not fully qualified in the prior academic year, as reported to DESE.

Reporting

 The District when using differentiated placement on the salary schedule under this Policy will annually report to DESE as follows:

1. The salary schedule adopted by the District.
2. The number of positions filled by teachers placed on the salary schedule for hard-to-staff subject areas.
3. The number of positions filled with teachers placed on the salary schedule for hard-to-staff schedules.
4. The number of steps and additional compensation that teachers with differentiated placement received for the school year.
5. Any other relevant information requested by the department.