Compensation

Purpose

ANCS aims to attract, retain, and motivate a high-quality and competent workforce at all levels with a comprehensive, competitive compensation program designed to compensate employees for their skills, abilities, performance, and years of experience.

Duration

This policy is permanent, but it is subject to revisions.

Policy

Section 1. Authorization for Salary and Compensation Administration

The Executive Director is authorized to maintain and administer the compensation plan adopted by the Governing Board and to develop regulations for administering that plan.

Section 2. Compensation Plan and Salary Schedule

The compensation plan shall be fair, externally comparable, internally consistent, and within the resources available to ANCS. Salaries of all employees shall be in accordance with Board policy.

  1. Salary ranges for all positions will be proposed annually by the Executive Director to the Finance & Operations Committee then brought to the ANCS Governing Board for adoption. Schedules and changes will be guided by (but will not necessarily replicate) other metro Atlanta public charter schools' and districts' salary schedules, education, experience, and cost-of-living adjustments based on economic conditions.
  2. The initial starting salary for all ANCS employees will be determined by the Executive Director.
  3. The Executive Director is authorized to offer a one-time signing bonus as additional compensation for hard-to-staff positions. The positions for which signing bonuses are offered and the total amount of each signing bonus must be approved by the Finance & Operations Committee.
  4. Additional longer-term responsibilities taken on outside of contractual responsibilities may be compensated with a stipend as determined by the Executive Director.
  5. In addition to any Board-approved cost-of-living adjustments based on economic conditions, employees (other than the Executive Director) whose contracts are renewed established by the ANCS Governing Board will also receive a lump sum bonus at certain points in their tenure at ANCS according to the schedule below established by the ANCS Board. These tenure bonuses are awarded not only to acknowledge and reward an employee's longevity and sustained performance at ANCS, but also to encourage the employee to continue his or her employment with ANCS.

  6. Tenure bonuses will be paid out to eligible employees by September 30th of each school year based on the availability of funding as determined by the Governing Board. Any employees on an improvement plan at the start of a new contract period will not be eligible for a tenure bonus unless otherwise determined by the Executive Director (see Employee Evaluation).

Tenure at ANCS Tenure Bonus Amount
After completion of 5 years $2,500
After completion of 7 years $3,500
After completion of 10 years $5,000
After completion of 12 years $6,000
After completion of 15 years $7,500
After completion of 18 years $9,000
After completion of 20 years $10,000
  1. After the 20th year of employment at ANCS, an employee will receive either an additional 1% salary increase or a Board-approved cost-of-living salary increase (whichever is greater) annually for the remainder of the employee's employment at ANCS in addition to any other salary bonus the staff receives as a whole.
  2. As noted above, the tenure bonus program is in part intended to provide an incentive for an employee to remain at ANCS. Nevertheless, an employee who retires from ANCS at the end of a contract period in which the employee would be eligible for a tenure bonus will receive an additional 1% annually for every year worked after 20 years provided that the employee (1) officially retires in accordance with the rules of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia and (2) satisfies the other criteria of this policy.

Section 3. Salary for Higher Certificates and Advanced Degrees

The salary track for improved certificates and relevant advanced degrees will be adjusted in the following school year. Faculty should submit the improved certificates or advanced degrees prior to the issuance of contracts. A teacher who earns the improved certificate or advanced degree prior to the first pay period of an annual contract may petition for the salary increase to be effective in that contract year. A determination of whether an advanced degree is relevant to an employee's position will be at the discretion of the Executive Director.

Section 4. Certificates and Licenses

Each certificated employee will hold the appropriate certificate or license for his/her assignment as required by the charter and all applicable laws.

Section 5. Salary for Prior Service

  1. The Executive Director will grant new employees steps on the salary schedule for equivalent and/or relevant prior experience as verified and approved by the Executive Director and/or Campus Principals. A determination of whether prior experience is equivalent and/or relevant will be at the discretion of the Executive Director.
  2. Pay will be retroactive if verification of acceptable prior service is received within 90 days of the employment start date.

Section 6. Pay Periods

  1. ANCS personnel are paid on a twelve-month basis.
  2. Paychecks are issued on the 5th and the 20th of the month.
  3. Direct deposit is available and encouraged.

Section 7. Stipends

  1. Stipends are in addition to an employee's salary, defined in his/her contract. They are awarded for duties outside of the normal job description of faculty or staff. They are representative of a specific short-term or part-time need that is clearly defined by the Executive Director. Roles with stipends are advertised like all other vacancies. Any existing employee who meets the posted qualifications may express interest to the Executive Director in assuming the role in addition to their defined responsibilities in their existing contract.
  2. The exact amount and duration of the stipend is commensurate with the level of time, effort, and specialized knowledge required for the duties. Stipends are defined by an addendum to the school contract and last, at the longest, for one year. For roles that are repetitive or extend beyond one year, a new contract will be presented for approval and offered either to the same employee or another defined for the role.

Approval and Review

Approved

Effective

 Last Review

Next Review
06/16/2015 07/02/2015 09/2024 03/2027