3220.01 - TEACHER APPRECIATION GRANTS

Greater Clark County School Corporation

Bylaws & Policies

3220.01 - TEACHER APPRECIATION GRANTS

The School Board shall adopt an annual policy concerning the distribution of teacher appreciation grants. This policy shall be submitted to the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) along with the School Corporation’s staff performance evaluation plan online as one (1) document by September 15th of each year.

Definitions:

For purposes of this policy, the following definitions apply:

The term "teacher" means a professional person whose position with the Corporation requires a license (as defined in I.C. 20-28-1-7) and whose primary responsibility is the instruction of students.

The term "license" refers to a document issued by the IDOE that grants permission to serve as a particular kind of teacher. The term includes any certificate or permit issued by the IDOE.

Distribution of Annual Teacher Appreciation Grants:

Teacher appreciation grant funds received by the Corporation shall be distributed to licensed teachers who meet the following criteria:

	A.	employed in the classroom (including providing instruction in a virtual classroom setting);
	B.	rated as Effective or Highly Effective on their most recent performance evaluation; and
	C.	employed by the Corporation as of December 1st of the year in which the teacher appreciation grant funds are received by the Corporation.

The Corporation shall distribute the teacher appreciation grant funds it receives as follows:

	A.	A cash stipend as determined by the Superintendent shall be distributed to all teachers in the Corporation who are rated as Effective; and
	B.	A cash stipend in an amount that is twenty-five percent 25% more than the stipend given the teachers rated as Effective shall be distributed to all teachers in the Corporation who are rated as Highly Effective.

If the Corporation is the local educational agency (LEA) or lead school corporation that administers a special education cooperative or joint services program or a career and technical education program, including programs managed under I.C. 20-26-10, 20-35-5, 20-37, or I.C. 36-1-7, then it shall award teacher appreciation grant stipends to and carry out the other responsibilities of an employing school corporation under this section for the teachers in the special education program or career and technical education program with respect to the teacher appreciation grant funds it receives on behalf of those teachers.

A stipend to an individual teacher in a particular year is not subject to collective bargaining but is discussable and is in addition to the minimum salary or increases in the salary set under I.C. 20-28-9-1.5.

The Corporation shall distribute all stipends from a teacher appreciation grant to individual teachers within twenty (20) business days of the date the IDOE distributes the teacher appreciation grant funds to the Corporation.

This policy shall be reviewed annually by the Board and shall be submitted to the IDOE annually by the Superintendent as indicated above.

I.C. 20-18-2-22
I.C. 20-28-1-7
I.C. 20-43-10-3.5

Adopted 9/5/17
Revised 2/6/18