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 proposed was $0.50 per hour for each frozen year (rounded in the proposal to $1/hour in aggregate examples).

District staff described the teacher proposal as a combination of a base increase plus guaranteed step restoration for eligible employees. Magnus gave an example: a teacher frozen for three years would receive the $2,690 base increase plus the $1,100 step and three restored steps, which the superintendent summarized as “on the steps they’re picking up $4,400, and then from the base, $2,690.” The administration said steps last year increased from $800 to $1,100 and that the proposal uses those step sizes for restoration.

Administration and an advisory council that included teachers reviewed lane and step adjustments. The proposal would add steps to some lanes (for example, additional steps in bachelor’s and bachelor’s+15 lanes) and grandfather current staff into the revised lanes; teachers would have up to five years to pursue lane advances consistent with the new schedule. The administration said the proposal was modeled to preserve equity for instructors whose years of experience sat in different lanes during the freeze period.

Board members who spoke during the discussion thanked administration for bringing the restoration forward; one trustee said members had received public comment and met with the administration to clarify concerns. The board approved the salary schedule in the action portion of the meeting (motion by Mrs. Day; second by Mr. Johnson). The motion carried on a voice vote.

The superintendent’s presentation included several clarifying figures and history: the district’s operating budget is roughly $50,000,000; typical carryover is about 2% (roughly $1,000,000); ESSER funding and subsequent legislative action allowed the carryover cap to expand in prior years, enabling the district to apply reserve funds now. Administration also provided staff distribution counts by lane (for example, 73.06 FTEs in the master’s column) to justify added steps where teacher experience concentrations exist.

The superintendent and business staff said staff will receive inter‑district mail and individualized statements within weeks outlining the years restored and the amounts, with HR and payroll staff available to resolve discrepancies. The administration told the board pay changes tied to the approved 2025–26 schedule and lane placements are expected to take effect with the new school year and pay cycle (administration stated the new schedule applies to the 2025–26 contract year). The board approved the schedule as presented.

Votes at a glance: the board approved the 2025–26 salary schedule as the board’s action item; the motion was made by Mrs. Day and seconded by Mr. Johnson and the motion carried on a voice vote. The board did not record individual named vote counts in the public minutes.

The administration said additional personnel and procedural steps are required to implement pay changes: HR will mail individualized notices to affected staff and payroll will process adjustments; staff who changed positions during the freeze years will be restored only for experience earned in the same job classification, per administration examples.

The district presentation and board approval conclude the formal action on the schedule; administration said affected employees will receive documentation within weeks and that staff may contact HR (Mrs. Kleeman) or payroll (Brandy/Inskeep) to correct errors.

The board’s approval follows a public comment period and earlier presentations; trustees indicated they would discuss implementation and respond to staff questions as needed in coming weeks.