Teachers receive signing bonuses

Subsidized bonuses help attract and keep teachers in Decatur

— The Decatur School District qualifies for financial aid from the state to help recruit and retain teachers, superintendent Larry Ben told the school board at the May 21 meeting.

The incentive program, managed by the Arkansas Department of Education, gives teachers at high-priority schools, with less than 1,000 students and more than 80 percent of students on free and reduced lunches, signing bonuses at the end of the school year.

Last year Decatur had just under 500 students, and 81.5 percent of students qualified for free and reduced lunches, Ben said.

The maximum bonus is $5,000 for the first year a teacher works in a high priority school. The amount is lowered to $4,000 for the second and third years and $3,000 a year for the fourth year and each subsequent year afterwards, according to the Arkansas Department of Education rules governing the incentive program.

In recent years, the appropriated funds have not been sufficient to pay the maximum bonuses, so the money is prorated, Ben said. Bonuses for first-year teachers have been closer to $4,000 and bonuses for teachers who have worked in the district four or more years have been closer to $2,000, he said.

Ben explained the bonuses help level the playing field so that small schools, such as Decatur, can attract quality teachers.

“Basically the ultimate goal is the education of our students,” he said.

News, Pages 8 on 06/06/2012