LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Teachers at 17 Jefferson County Public Schools are losing district stipends for educators at high-need schools, leaving some facing thousands of dollars in lost pay just days before the school year begins.
JCPS spent more than $19 million on the on the Education Support Zone (ESZ) stipends last year to attract and retain staff at schools serving students facing poverty or learning English as a second language. Teachers at those schools had received the extra pay for the additional workload those environments require.
In May, teachers were told the $8,000 stipends would be phased out over four years, decreasing by $2,000 each year. Many also expected a new $2,000 stipend available to all JCPS educators this school year to offset that first reduction, meaning they would see little to no change in pay.
Instead, teachers at 17 schools learned shortly before the school year began that their schools were no longer eligible for the stipend at all.
Semple Elementary art teacher Kim Dykes said she was caught off guard.
"A $6,000 loss without any notice when we were expecting to have that money for the upcoming year," Dykes said. "...When you have to get that second job and have to spend time away from your family, you're not getting that self care that us as educators need."
The following 17 schools were told they are no longer eligible for the stipend:
- Blake Elementary School
- Cane Run Elementary School
- Crums Lane Elementary School
- Greenwood Elementary School
- Hartstern Elementary School
- Indian Trail Elementary School
- Rangeland Elementary School
- Rutherford Elementary School
- Semple Elementary School
- Shacklette Elementary School
- Shelby Academy
- Trunnell Elementary School
- Lyman T Johnson Traditional Middle School
- Knight Middle School
- Marion C. Moore School
- Doss High School
- Fairdale High School
 Why did the stipend end?
JCPS said its criteria for ESZ membership did not change and that no teachers were affected by changes in district designation. Instead, the district said the stipend is determined by whether a school is identified by the Kentucky Department of Education.
"Under state rules, any school identified by the Kentucky Department of Education received the stipend, reduced by 25%. Schools no longer identified by the state did not receive the stipend at all," the district said.
JCPS said that when the state removed certain schools from its identified list, those schools no longer qualified for the stipend.
Superintendent Brian Yearwood also denied the district changed its criteria. He said schools that were no longer eligible for the stipend were always supposed to lose it, but acknowledged that had not been consistently applied.
"...That has always been the norm," Yearwood said. "Apparently, although that has been understood, that has not been the practice, and we are making sure that we are following through with our promise."
The Jefferson County Teachers Association, however, offered a different explanation.
"JCPS has changed their criteria for which schools are eligible to earn the additional stipend, resulting in less schools being eligible, despite the fact that more schools have been identified by the state for additional support and state supervision," the union said.
The JCTA declined to comment on any next steps.
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