Debate over teacher stipends ends in rejection of Career Ladder proposal
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV)-- After the St. Joseph School District board voted down the district’s proposed Career Ladder plan on Tuesday, the district is now left without a program in place for the 2026-2027 school year.
Previously, the district used a three-tier system, with educators in the highest tier eligible for stipends of up to $5,000. The newly proposed plan would have reduced the program to two tiers, offering up to $1,500 for Tier 1 and up to $3,000 for Tier 2.
“Our academics service team does recommend tonight the proposal that we laid out in front of you, with the career ladder plan that the revised plan is organized around five main priorities,” said Stacia Studer, assistant superintendent of academics.
Still, several board members raised concerns about how the changes would affect veteran teachers. Board member LaTonya Williams said the proposal would disproportionately impact experienced educators who rely on Career Ladder stipends.
“I do think that the new educators will understand working towards the career ladder. But the amount of educators who would be affected by eliminating the tier on the end over in the beginning is extremely vast,” Williams said.
Williams also noted that even the previous maximum stipend of $5,000 was not enough for many educators who depend on the additional income.
Board member Cassandra Veale attempted to delay the vote so district administrators could review supplemental information, but the motion to postpone failed.
Board President Rhonda Chesney, Vice President Jacob McMillian and board members Kim Miller and Mike Moore voted against postponing the measure. Veale, Jennifer Kerns and Williams voted in favor of delaying the vote.
When the board later voted on the proposed two-tier Career Ladder system itself, Kerns, Williams, Veale, and Moore voted against the plan, while Chesney, McMillian and Miller voted in favor.
Because the proposal failed, the district currently has no Career Ladder plan approved for the 2026-2027 school year. Superintendent Ashly McGinnis said the program must be renewed annually.
