D250 – TEACHER APPRECIATION GRANT

The School Board adopts this annual policy to establish that it will distribute its annual Teacher Appreciation Grant funds to teachers:

1. Employed in the classroom or directly providing education in a virtual classroom setting;

2. Who received a Highly Effective or Effective rating on their most recently completed performance evaluation; and

3. Employed the previous school year in the School Corporation, must have worked at least 120 days, and remains a teacher in the Corporation as of December 1 of the year the school district receives the Teacher Appreciation Grant monies.

For purposes of this policy, “teacher” is defined as “a professional person whose position with a: (1) school corporation; (2) special education cooperative established under IC 20-35-5; (3) cooperative career and technical education program; (4) special education program established by an interlocal agreement under IC 36-1-7; (5) joint program agreement established under IC 20-26-10; or (6) charter school; requires a license (as defined in IC 20-28-1-7) and whose primary responsibility is the instruction of students in the classroom or virtual classroom.”

The Corporation will distribute its Teacher Appreciation Grant monies to all teachers rated Effective and Highly Effective with those rated Highly Effective receiving a stipend that is 25% more than the stipend given to Effective teachers.

The Corporation will distribute the stipends within 20 business days of the date the Indiana Department of Education distributes the Teacher Appreciation Grant funds.

Legal Reference: I.C. § 20-43-10-3.5

Annual Adoption:  8/28/2023