Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Dual Credit topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lakeland negotiators question dual-credit stipend formula; ask for accounting from high schools
Summary
Participants reviewed the district’s dual-credit partnership with North Idaho College and raised concerns that the current 77% stipend paid to teachers may leave insufficient funds for student instructional supplies; staff were asked to provide building-level accounting this summer.
District negotiators turned a close eye to the dual-credit agreement with North Idaho College (NIC), reviewing spreadsheets that show the district paid teachers 77% of revenue for dual‑credit classes this year. A negotiator flagged a concern that the current approach could allocate most program dollars to teacher stipends rather than to student instructional supports and textbooks, which the NIC agreement lists as intended uses.
Staff responded that the program returns facility‑use revenue (about $43,000 per semester reported for fall) and that the year under review was budget neutral after recalculations, but acknowledged the need for clearer line‑item accounting at the school level. Negotiators asked high‑school administrators to inventory dual‑credit expenses — how many students are enrolled in NIC classes, what supplies or fees are charged to students, and whether existing school allocations covered those costs — and to report back over the summer so the parties can decide whether to alter the stipend percentage (scenarios included a reduction to 50% or a per‑credit payment model).
Observers emphasized that the NIC contract allows districts to compensate teachers but that the agreement’s stated purpose is to support students (books, tuition, supplies). District staff said the district will attempt to produce building‑level detail before the next negotiation session.
The negotiators did not adopt a change in payout percentage at the meeting; instead they requested the accounting needed to judge whether the stipend rate is consistent with the program’s student‑support intent.
