Board approves teacher salary distribution plan; adds three stipends to compensation plan

The Lake Wales Charter Schools Board of Trustees on Sept. 22 approved the system’s Teacher Salary Increase Allocation (TSIA) distribution plan and a revision to the employee compensation plan that adds three stipend positions. Trustees voted to approve the TSIA distribution plan after administration explained how the allocation works and that the system had built the approved increase into its budget. Mr. Smith explained the allocation calculation and said the total TSIA allocation available for distribution was approximately $2,015,567, with local calculations giving about $153,009.80 for growth distribution in the plan. He said the board’s previously approved 2% minimum increase was part of the budget and the TSIA dollars would be applied within that framework; the plan will be submitted to the Florida Department of Education. The board also approved three stipend additions to the employee compensation plan: - On-the-job trainer stipend: $2,500, for teachers who supervise students participating in workplace/job-site programs. - Acceleration coordinator (CTE): $2,500, for the teacher overseeing CTE pathways, certifications and dual-enrollment career preparation. - Assistant athletic director (facilities/maintenance): $4,500, to oversee field maintenance and game readiness. Trustees discussed implementation timing for raises and were told payroll will process raises retroactively and administration aims to have increases reflected in paychecks as soon as feasible (historically around December). The average per-teacher amount if only TSIA dollars were distributed would have been roughly $515; combined with the district’s 2% increase the effective average uplift is higher. Motions and votes on these items were taken by roll call and passed with majority support; trustees emphasized the process had included teacher input and committee review.