Special education teachers looking for a great district to work for have now a new reason to consider the Marion School District – a package of stipends valued from $1,000 to $5,000.
“Special education is a high-priority area for us,” said Dr. Glen Fenter, Marion superintendent. “We recognize that working in this field requires a special calling, unique skills, and talents. That’s why we created this stipend plan – to help us ensure that we are recruiting and retaining the best of the best in the special education field.”
Marion’s special education stipends will break down as follows:
The addition of a $5,000 stipend to the salary schedule for individuals who hold a standard Arkansas teaching license in Special Education and are teaching full-time in a self-contained special education classroom.
The addition of a $2,500 stipend to the salary schedule for individuals who hold a standard Arkansas teaching license in Special Education and are teaching full-time in a resource special education classroom.
The addition of a $1,250 stipend to the salary schedule for individuals who hold a standard Arkansas teaching license in Special Education and are teaching full-time in an inclusion special education classroom.
The addition of a $1,000 stipend to the salary schedule for individuals who hold a provisional Arkansas teaching license in Special Education and are teaching full-time in a special education classroom of any kind.
The addition of a $1,000 stipend to the salary schedule for individuals who hold a standard Arkansas teaching license in an area other than Special Education and are teaching special education on an additional licensure plan (ALP) full-time in a special education classroom of any kind.
The addition of a $2,500 stipend to the salary schedule for individuals who hold the following credentials and are employed by the district as a full-time speech pathologist: a standard Arkansas teaching license in Speech-Language Pathology, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP), and a license from the Arkansas Board of Examiners Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.
Employees who meet any of the above qualifications but are not full-time will have their stipends pro-rated based on the percentage of their day spent in any given area.
The stipends, which were approved in February by the Marion school board, will be in addition to recruitment/retention bonuses which were also approved by the board for the 2024-25 school year.
To see the full list of open positions, or for more information about working at Marion, visit https://www.msd3.org/page/employment.
Recruitment/Retention Bonus
In addition to the special education stipend, the Marion School District has also announced a one-time bonus that will be given to all staff members who are employed by the district on or before July 17 of this year.
The bonus will be paid in two equal installments as part of the regular August 30, 2024, and March 15, 2025, payrolls to every individual who remains employed on those dates.
“We know the biggest key to having a successful school district is having the right people working in the right spots,” said Dr. Glen Fenter, Marion superintendent. “To have good people, you have to be willing to invest in them. This recruitment/retention bonus is just one way we are doing that.”
The bonuses, which were approved by the Marion School Board in March, represent a $941,310.31 investment in the district’s staff.
The amount of each bonus will depend on each individual’s employment status and pay rate:
All full-time employees working in a licensed position who are licensed will receive a 3% bonus.
All full-time classified employees will receive the greater dollar amount of a 3% bonus or $1,000.
All full-time employees working in a licensed position on an Act 1240 licensure waiver will receive a 2% bonus.
Bonuses will be based on the full amount of the 2024-25 contract. Employees working full-time as a long-term substitute will not be eligible. All normal taxes and withholdings will be applied.
To see the full list of open positions, or for more information about working at Marion, visit https://www.msd3.org/page/employment.
The Marion School District is an innovative and growing district committed to helping every student find their unique path to success in school and in life. With more than 150 years of experience serving families in Crittenden County, the district offers a high school, a junior high, a seventh grade school, and three award-winning magnet schools. For enrollment information, including information on school choice, visit https://www.msd3.org/ or call 870-739-5100.