During a Nov. 16 regular meeting, the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD board of trustees reviewed the district's teacher incentive allotment.
Under House Bill 3, this allotment is designed to ensure classroom teachers in the state have access to a six-figure salary, provide resources to school districts to increase teacher compensation, and prioritize funding for high needs and rural district campuses, according to the Texas Education Agency.
According to Chief Human Resources Officer Linda Cannon, there are two ways for a teacher to be designated for incentive allotments.
“One of those ways is for them to earn what is called National Board Certification,” Cannon said. “And the other way is for us to establish as a district a three-level designation system where teachers can earn a recognized, exemplary or master level designation.”
Allotment ranges are increased by designation level, the campus' rural status and socioeconomic need, Chief Academic Officer Kelly Kovacs said. Each allotment is broken down based on campus-specific data. Teachers would receive funding based on the individual campus needs, meaning if a teacher transferred from a campus with a larger funding range to a campus with a lower one, they would lose those additional funds.
Despite the funding amounts changing by campus needs, teacher designations would remain with a teacher no matter which campus they transfer to, Kovacs said. A teacher that receives a master designation at one campus will carry that designation to their next campus.
The role of SCUCISD in the allotment is to develop and implement the designation system and how teachers are identified as recognized, exemplary or master.
According to Kovacs, once designations are made and approved, funding comes to the campus, with 90% used to compensate teachers employed where the designated teacher works. The remaining 10% is used for costs associated with supporting a local designation system or supporting teachers in obtaining designations.
For this school year, the goal is to develop the designation system and submit the plan to TEA for review. The 2022-23 school year will be used as a data capture year, and the system is estimated to be approved and receive state funding in the summer of 2024.
More information on the plans will be provided to the board during the January meeting.
