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Board OKs classified raises and stipends as state changes limit teacher appreciation grants
Summary
Lebanon board approved a roughly 3% average raise for classified staff, a year-end stipend schedule (12‑month $500; 10‑month $400; part‑time $300; bus drivers $500; bus aides $300) and administrative contract adjustments while administrators warned state changes now limit teacher appreciation grants to 20% of eligible teachers.
The Lebanon Community School Corporation voted to approve classified pay-scale adjustments averaging about 3% and authorized year-end stipends for classified employees while administrators described statewide changes to the teacher appreciation grant that will constrain future stipend awards.
Mr. Dennis told the board the classified pay-scale recommendation "was to average a 3% wage increase," and that the total compensation package also reflected higher board insurance contributions. He presented a detailed scale in the meeting packet and asked the board to approve.
Separately, Dennis proposed a classified stipend this season because the timing and distribution of the teacher appreciation grant have changed. He explained historical practice of pairing classified stipends with teacher appreciation awards and warned that recent state legislation limits districts to awarding stipends to no more than 20% of eligible teachers. Dr. Melman expanded on the legislative change, saying it went into effect July 1 and will reduce the number of teachers eligible under the new statute: "Now the state is saying that no district can provide a stipend to more than 20% of the teachers meeting the eligibility definition… For us, that's between 38 and 40 teachers."
The board approved classified raises and the stipend schedule by voice vote; administrators said no administrator stipends are included this year. The board also approved administrative contract and benefits schedules that include a 3.22% across‑the‑board raise for administrators, while administrators noted the district's average teacher raise was about 6.1%.
What’s next: staff will implement the new pay scales and distribute stipends per the described eligibility; administrators cautioned future stipend availability depends on state funding and operations‑fund growth.
