The teacher merit pay program that Prince William County is developing in its poorest schools will rely on funds from the cash-strapped school system, even though the school board says it
believed that a federal grant would fully sustain the kickoff.
The school board approved the five-year Teacher Incentive Performance Award pilot initiative in May, contingent on outside funds, which arrived in September as an $11.1 million federal grant.
But at a recent school board meeting, the plan’s creator said the district must pay for 20 percent of the cost — about $250,000 — in its first year; each year, the district’s share of the bill will increase by 20 percent until the school system funds 80 percent of the program in 2015-2016.
“The reason for that is to show to the Department of Education that we could attain fiscal responsibility,” former Superintendent Kris Pedersen said.
The application requires districts to “… provide from non-[grant] funds over the course of the five-year project period an increasing share of performance-based compensation paid to teachers, principals, and other personnel. …”
But that message didn’t get across to the school board: Lisa Bell said that when she voted, “It was my understanding that we we’d pay nothing until after the fifth year, and I believe other board members thought the same thing.”
The district’s budget was cut $25.6 million over last year, even as enrollment increased by 2,460 students. School employees’ salaries were frozen.
Bonnie Klakowicz, president of the Prince William Education Association, said teachers probably will not get a raise next year, “and morale countywide is low.”
“But educating our students needs to remain a high-priority, and taxpayers, yes, taxpayers, will need to decide if they are willing to pay higher taxes to fund [the program],” Klakowicz said.
Bell said she had “no idea” if the school system could handle the cost. “I’m concerned that we don’t know what the financial forecast is going to be,” she said.
Fellow board member Grant Lattin echoed that “we were looking for a grant that would cover it all,” but remained supportive “because if this experiment works, we could be the model for the whole nation.”
It would cost nearly $4 million to give bonuses to all 30 qualifying schools, accredited schools that meet their annual goals and have 50 percent or more students on free or reduced lunch. Pedersen expected to award about $1.3 million to about 10 schools in 2012-2013. The 2011-2012 school year has been designated for planning.
