Perryton ISD staff outlines plan to pursue Texas Teacher Incentive Allotment

An unnamed district staff member told the Perryton ISD school board that the district is exploring adopting the Texas Teacher Incentive Allotment, a state program that can provide additional salary for designated teachers and that requires a locally developed plan approved by the Texas Education Agency (TEA).

The staff member said the program uses three designation levels that carry different statewide funding ranges and that the actual dollar awards depend on district characteristics such as rural status and percentage of low‑socioeconomic students. "The teacher incentive allotment...is a way to provide teachers a higher income while still remaining in the classroom," the staff member said.

The staff member said the district would need to develop a plan that includes at minimum a student growth measure and a teacher evaluation measure, submit it for TEA approval, run a baseline year of data collection, then begin payouts in the third year if TEA signs off. "If TEA says this is okay, then the next year...they monitor our students' scores...and then the third year...checks can move out," the staff member told the board.

Why it matters: TIA funds are sent from the state and are not drawn from local tax dollars; they are intended to increase teacher pay without increasing local payroll costs. The staff member said regional districts already adopting TIA could create a retention challenge, because teachers who have earned a TIA designation can carry it and the associated state funding to another district.

Key program details presented

- Designations: recognized, exemplary and master (staff cited statewide ranges and district examples). - Perryton ISD estimates (district figures presented by staff): recognized $7,030; exemplary $14,060; master $25,433 (annual supplemental dollars per designated teacher). The staff member said those district figures are funded by the state, not local funds. - Duration: a designation is held for five years once awarded. - Eligibility: the staff member emphasized designations require certified teachers and that the measures focus on student growth rather than absolute achievement. - Minimum plan elements: a student growth measure and a teacher evaluation measure; districts may add optional criteria such as attendance or trainings.

Rollout recommendation and concerns

The staff member recommended a phased rollout to limit early implementation problems: year one focusing on STAR and EOC assessments plus grades K–2 using a growth measure such as MAP; year two adding Career and Technical Education (CTE), special education and pre‑K; year three adding electives. The staff member said many districts that tried to enroll all teachers in year one found the program difficult to implement.

Board members asked about retention and portability. The staff member confirmed that a teacher who brings a designation from another district would be eligible to receive state funds in Perryton ISD if that teacher still holds the designation. The presenter also estimated that approximately 30–40% of teachers in a district that implements TIA receive some designation, though they called that an early estimate.

Next steps

The presenter said she is meeting with faculty across the district and expected the group developing a local plan to meet and produce a draft for board consideration by mid‑October; submission to TEA would follow if the board approves the plan. "I can't ethically not ask the question...because I see the money that could be on the table for our teachers," the staff member said when describing why she raised the item now.

The board did not take a formal vote during the meeting; staff said further discussion and a formal board decision would follow later this fall if the district completes a draft plan and seeks approval to proceed.