School Staffing Costs: From the BEP Formula to Paying Teachers in the Classroom
October 2016
Author: Linda Wesson
Because the BEP is a formula for funding education, rather than a spending plan, increases in state BEP dollars do not necessarily mean larger paychecks for every teacher. This is because BEP spending decisions are made at the local level. School districts determine to what extent this additional funding is spent on increasing pay for staff already employed or on hiring new staff. Districts may also spend this additional funding on staff benefits, but only if they meet a new salary threshold established in state law in 2016. This brief takes a closer look at the path from the passage of the annual appropriations bill at the Tennessee State Capitol to the spending decisions made by local school districts. A separate infographic summarizes the details.