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Elmbrook staff handbook revisions proposed: higher overload stipends and liquidated-damages increase discussed
Summary
District staff presented proposed 2025–26 employee handbook changes including higher liquidated-damages for teacher contract breaches, increased high-school overload pay, updates to comp-day language and coaching stipend adjustments; the board discussed the proposals and asked questions; final approval expected at a later meeting.
District administration presented proposed revisions to the Elmbrook School District employee handbook that would change contract breach penalties, clarify comp-day rules and raise certain pay rates for high-school overloads and coaching stipends.
Why it matters: the proposed changes affect teacher compensation, summer work credit and coaching pay, and the board’s discussion emphasized equity, benchmarking with area districts and administrative rationale.
Pam (last name not specified in the transcript), who led the presentation, summarized the recommended changes for 2025–26. She said the changes fall into modified language, deleted language, pay-rate clarifications and pay-rate adjustments and noted that the Personnel Committee had unanimously advanced the recommendations to the full board for consideration.
Key proposed changes discussed by the board and administration: - Liquidated damages: the handbook would increase penalties when a teacher signs a contract for the following school year and subsequently resigns in breach. Proposed new amounts are $2,000 effective July 1 and $4,500 for resignations on or after Aug. 1. Pam said, “These amounts have not changed in several years and the number of late summer and midyear resignations are increasing.” - Teacher overload stipends: high-school overload rates would rise. The proposal increases the flat stipends for high-school teachers assigned a class during a scheduled prep period from $12,000 to $15,000 for a repeat class and from $15,000 to $19,000 for a new class; the district would also clarify proration rules for elementary overloads. - Coaching stipends: benchmarks with southeastern Wisconsin districts showed Elmbrook coaching stipends lagged market rates; the proposal would move lagging stipends toward the 75th percentile and raise other stipends by 2.95%. - Comp days and training requirements: the draft updates language allowing comp days to be used for new teacher orientation and clarifies math-recovery training prerequisites to match current vendor requirements.
Board members asked procedural and equity questions. Board member Sam asked why overload pay is a flat-dollar stipend rather than scaled by teacher band or years of service; Pam replied, “It’s currently a flat dollar,” and the administration said the approach is a legacy practice carried through collective-bargaining norms. Superintendent Mark described the historical context and said the flat-dollar approach was intended as an equitable, uniform stipend.
No vote was taken. The board discussed the proposals and requested any follow‑up questions be directed to Pam; the handbook revisions will return to the board as an action item at a future meeting after final review and any additional edits required by administration and committee feedback.
