Cartwright board approves 2025–26 pay-for-performance plan, shifts major assessment payment to December

The Cartwright Elementary School District governing board on Tuesday approved the district’s 2025–26 pay-for-performance plan, preserving the program’s current award amounts while moving the largest assessment-based payment from June to December.

District Chief Human Resources Officer Dr. Mark Etheridge said the change reduces the district’s financial risk by waiting for state assessment results before making the $1,500 payout tied to spring test scores. "We moved the payment from June to December so we make sure that we get the assessment results prior to that," Etheridge said during the public hearing presentation. The governing board approved the plan by roll-call vote (three ayes, one abstention).

The plan, required by the classroom site fund rules the district uses to pay teacher supplements, keeps the overall award structure intact but clarifies eligibility. Under the plan: district-level criteria require 14 of 20 schools to earn a C or better for all teachers to receive the $1,500. If the district does not meet that threshold, individual school letter grades are used; schools with a C or better would trigger full awards for their teachers. If neither district nor school criteria are met, teachers can still earn portions of the award through components: 35% tied to proficiency gains, 30% tied to meeting a 90% attendance rate, and the remainder based on other subcomponents.

Individual evaluation-based pay remains $600 for teachers rated effective or highly effective (50% — $300 — for developing; none for below developing). That evaluation component will continue to be paid in June because evaluation results are already available. The plan also preserves professional-development and certification supplements: up to $1,100 for qualifying certificates or clock hours (paid November 2025 or April 2026 depending on the source), up to $3,000 for initial National Board Certification (two payments of $1,500 in December and May), and a $400 instructional-improvement payment scheduled for April 2026. The district said the maximum potential increase from all classroom site fund supplements is $14,520 per eligible teacher.

The committee that shaped the plan reported broad teacher support: Etheridge said roughly 93% of teachers ratified the plan at their schools. The committee also added procedural clarifications: prorated awards for part-time teachers based on FTE, a 90% pay rule for retirees who return to work, and employment-duration cutoffs for specific payments so the district can determine final eligibility before issuing checks.

Board members asked for clearer timelines and documentation. Governing Board Member Denise Garcia said she wanted an itemized budget and additional detail about the district’s overall fiscal position before voting, and she abstained from the pay-for-performance vote. Vice President Cantu and Governing Board President Lydia Hernandez voted to approve the plan.

The administration said the assessment-based payments are tied to the spring 2024–25 assessments and that the district moved the timing to reduce the risk of having to recoup funds if state results later disqualify previously prepaid awards. The plan includes an appeals process for teachers who believe they were incorrectly denied payment.

The board’s formal action record shows the motion passed with three ayes and one abstention. The administration will implement the plan and follow the revised payment schedule and eligibility clarifications.

Looking ahead, the district said it will review the committee timeline for future years so teacher committees can meet earlier in the spring and communicate ratified plans to staff sooner.