Teacher Payment Changes

 The new year brings a number of changes in North Carolina law, some involving public schools. One significant change for teachers is the law change that ended the option of paying teachers an entire month’s pay in the August paycheck. Instead, as you know, local education agencies are required to pay only for time actually worked. This means the August paycheck for most teachers will be a fraction of what they are used to seeing. On the other end of the year, teachers will be receiving a check in June for time worked in that month. Most teachers are not used to receiving a check in June. The exception to this is teachers who work 11 or 12 months. 

   Several groups, including the State Board of Education, NC Department of Public Instruction, NC School Boards Association, NC Association of School Administrators and NC Association of Educators requested some technical corrections in the new law, but these were not made. So, for now, the only compliant option is to provide partial payment at the end of August (for days worked in August only) and full payment at the end of September (for all days worked in September).

   The new legal requirements do not allow the delay of teachers’ first payment until the end of September and will not result in any change in pay rates or annual amount of pay for teachers. Most of us use our first check and portions of all our checks to set up our classrooms, buy supplies and  live! How will this effect our classrooms? How will this effect new teachers? More part time jobs or career changes?