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District applied for special-education stipends; phase 2 retention funding remains pending
Summary
Administration told the board it submitted an application to the New Mexico Public Education Department for a special-education retention stipend (phase 2) covering eligible teachers; the district did not qualify for a phase 1 hard-to-staff differential and PED has not yet announced awards for phase 2.
The board received an update on Gadsden ISD’s applications for New Mexico Public Education Department special-education funding.
Ms. Rodriguez explained that the state’s program had two phases: a phase 1 "hard-to-staff" pay differential that would have provided $10,000 (paid $5,000 in December and $5,000 in May) for positions vacant two years or more, and a phase 2 retention stipend of $5,000 to be paid if funds remained. "That stipend... was for positions that hadn't been filled for 2 years. So in looking at our positions, we didn't meet that criteria for this phase of the stipend," Rodriguez said.
For phase 2 the district submitted an application on Oct. 30 for eligible special-education teachers; Rodriguez said roughly 150 teachers were included in the submission and that three teachers were inadvertently omitted and later resubmitted. "We submitted that to PED on October 30th," she said. The transcript recorded no award decision from PED; Rodriguez said the district was waiting to hear whether funds remain for the retention stipends.
Rodriguez also clarified that phase 1 as written targeted vacancies carried for two years and that contracted positions that were converted to FTEs after the summer did not qualify as two-year vacancies.
Ending: The board was told PED will contact qualifying teachers directly if phase-2 funds are awarded; administration will update the board when PED issues award notices.
