Stafford teachers with large class sizes to see pay increase July 1

The Stafford County School Board has unanimously approved a plan to provide compensation to secondary, or middle school teachers who teach over 150 students or 25 class periods a week. 

This compensation was amended into the Virginia Administrative Code last fiscal year, stating that if a secondary and/or middle school ‘classroom teacher teaches more than 150 students or 25 class periods per week, an appropriate contractual arrangement and compensation shall be provided.’

According to documentation from the school board, there are 156 classroom teachers and 36 physical education/music teachers who qualify for this compensation. 

“SCPS defined three stipend tier amounts of compensation and calculated the average number of students of each secondary teacher by using the weekly counts through March 13, 2020. There were 156 classroom teachers and 36 PE/Music teachers that had average student counts that exceeded the 150- and 200-student counts, respectively,” stated the documentation. 

Depending on the number of students a teacher has, as well as the type of teacher they are, their compensation will vary.

Classroom teachers with 150-169 students will receive a $1,000 stipend, teachers with 170-189 students will receive a $1,500 stipend, and teachers with over 190 students will receive a $2,000 stipend. Physical education and music teachers with 200-219 students will receive a $1,000 stipend, teachers with 220-239 students will receive a $1,500 stipend, and teachers with over 240 students will receive a $2,000 stipend.

The payments will be distributed to teachers on July 1 and will cost the school division $239,484. The compensation will be funded with ‘year-end savings’ according to school board documentation. 

It has not been announced if this plan will be affected by the potential of school closures due to the new coronavirus, but Chris Fulmer, the Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Administration for Stafford County Schools, offered insight.

“If they [teachers] have those students on their roster we would count them towards that calculation for the average of exceeding 150. Chances are, unless we are completely closed or something very dramatic, they would still receive the stipend,” said Fulmer.