Board approves 2025-26 salary schedule, restores up to three years of frozen experience

The Lincoln County School District No. 2 Board of Trustees on April 9 approved a 2025–26 salary schedule that adds $2,690 to the teacher base, provides a $1,100 step increase on the teacher scale and restores up to three years of previously frozen experience for eligible certified and classified employees.

Superintendent Magnus, presenting the proposal, said the district’s external cost adjustment (ECA) from the recent legislative session provided $2,100,000 in new monies and that the district follows an “80/20” process, with about 80% of new funds directed to staff and 20% to materials and other non‑personnel needs. “Stepin’ Lane is $328,000 plus dollars,” Magnus said, describing how the district allocates the new funds.

The plan approved by the board rests partly on carryover (district reserve) that the administration said is available because the state in recent years allowed districts to increase carryover limits; Magnus noted the cap extension now runs to June 30, 2028. The administration proposed restoring years of step credit frozen during the 2013–14, 2016–17 and 2017–18 freezes. On the certified side, the restoration could be up to three years; on the classified side the restoration rate…