Rate Setting Unit

Excess Teacher Turnover Prevention Grants

All the information on how to spend the money is given in the award letters. However, some simple guidelines are provided below:

The basic purpose of the grant is to try to entice teachers to stay with the provider instead of leaving for another provider that pays more.

Funding for the Excess Teacher Turnover Prevention Grant must be included in the state budget each year in order for the awards of each year of a two-year cycle to be paid. The individual awards in each year of a new two year cycle must also receive approval. Therefore, there is no guarantee that new awards will occur or that the second year awards of a two year cycle will continue. Once the funding has become part of the tuition rate, it will continue as long as the provider continues to incur the costs in the programs the funds were originally disbursed to.

The funds must be paid to teachers who are actually teaching classes and who are in eligible teacher job codes and in eligible programs.

The eligible teacher codes are in the award letter and eligible program codes are on the Usage of Grant Funds form that was enclosed with the letter.

The “enhancement” is to be above and beyond what the teachers would have earned if the grant funds had not been provided. The awards are to “supplement”, not “supplant”, teachers’ salaries.

Funds built into the tuition rates from previous award cycles must be paid out in addition to the new awards received in the form of a check or an electronic funds transfer (EFT).

The funds can be paid out as lump sum bonus, increases to base salary, fringes related to the bonus or salary increase, some special benefit or program such as tuition reimbursement, or anything that a provider thinks would help retain teachers. Where possible, providers may find it more convenient to pay awards as lump sum bonuses as opposed to base year salary increases.

If increases to base salary are given in the first year of a new two-year award cycle, the first year’s awards must be paid out by the end of that school year (June 30th). If the increase to base salary is to be given again in the second year of a two-year cycle, the award should not commence in the second year until an official award letter is received by the agency for that second year. The second year’s award must be paid out by the end of the second school year (June 30th). Do not assume the second year’s awards will occur.

If increases to base year salaries are given in the first two years of a two-year award cycle, the agency will need to accrue the payments through the end (June 30th) of the school year and submit their grant paperwork by the scheduled due dates.

If the funds are paid out in one form in one year (lump sum payment, increase to base salary, etc.), they do not need to be paid out in that same form in the future.

The money can be targeted to specific teachers or specific groups of teachers (e.g., more or less experience) at the provider's discretion, within the limitation of contracts the provider may have with their teachers.

A teacher that receives part of an award in one year, would not necessarily have to get an award in another year.

Once the awards for a given two-year cycle have been disbursed to particular programs, the funding from the awards for that two-year cycle should continue to be used in the same programs in the same ratio as originally given.

If a provider has a teachers' union, we recommend that the provider consult with their legal counsel to be certain that contracts are not violated. It is the provider’s responsibility to follow through on this.

Last Updated: November 29, 2011