BELLE — Maries County R-2 teachers making under the $38,000 annually minimum recommended by Gov. Mike Parson will receive a one-time payment for the difference between their salary and the increase in the form of a thirteenth check at the end of the school year.

Superintendent Dr. Lenice Basham clarified information about the Teacher Baseline Grant from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) available to assist the district during the 2022-23 school year only. The district is not increasing teacher wages, but writing a thirteenth check, similar to a stipend, in June 2023.

“We need to approve the new salary schedule,” she said. “The governor put the $38,000 in and our plan has been approved by DESE. I just need you to approve the revised salary schedule.”

Maries R-2 currently has 30 educators who have been teaching in the district for eight years or less, making less than the recommendation. After adjusting the salary schedule with a raise in the spring, $33,000 is the new minimum educator base rate in the district.

“If they are making $33,000, they will receive a $5,000 check in June for the difference,” Basham said. 

The district will receive $79,000 from the state to help meet the new salary recommendation.

“Our district cost is about $34,000 at this point,” Basham said. “We do have those two open positions that we went ahead and put there is a possibility we will use those funds.”

Butler asked if there was any talk of the grant continuing into next year and Basham said it is currently only available for one year as a 30 percent match from the district and the state will pay 70 percent of the increase.

“The one thing that is on the salary schedule that wasn’t on there the last time you saw it is DESE grant columns are funded with state appropriations equal to 70 percent of the amount specified,” Basham said. “Such amounts may not be available in subsequent years. In the case of proration by DESE the grant amount will be reduced by proration. So if they come back and say ‘you know what, we can only give you 50 percent’ we will still do our part but what they would get from the state part of the grant would decrease to what the proportion would be.”

The board approved the adjusted salary schedule for one year with a 6-0 vote.

Educators may expect the salary increase that was approved in the spring in the September payroll. A check for the funds from the state-recommended increase will be given in June 2023, minus benefits.