As Dallas ISD continues to recover from the challenges of the pandemic, the safety, well-being and retention of the district’s highly qualified staff is a priority. A retention incentive for all eligible staff will be implemented for the 2022-2023 school year.
ESSER funds will be leveraged to fund the retention incentive.
Staff who return for the 2022-2023 school year would be eligible to receive the retention incentive that could amount to as much as $3,500 for the year. The incentive would be included in employees’ paychecks in three installments. The first installment—$500— would be paid in September to welcome staff back to the new school year. The rest of the retention incentive would be included in the December and May paychecks.
“In a competitive market, this retention incentive will not only help us keep the outstanding staff who have been working tirelessly for our students this year but will also give us an advantage in recruiting staff to fill existing vacancies in our campuses and departments,” said Robert Abel, acting chief of Human Capital Management. “We know everyone from teachers to maintenance and bus drivers have been giving it their all to help create a learning environment in which our students can be successful, and we wanted to recognize their efforts and tell them they are valued.”
For those employees who are part of an excellence initiative, the total amount of the incentive will be based on their upcoming earned 2022-2023 effectiveness level (TEI, PEI, APEI, EDEI) or 2021-2022 CSEI evaluation rating. (See chart for retention incentive by effectiveness level and CSEI evaluation rating.)
To accommodate changes in assignments and salary schedules, employees who receive a promotion for the 2022-2023 school year and have no effectiveness level or CSEI evaluation rating in the new position will receive a retention incentive tied to their prior effectiveness level CSEI evaluation rating. For example, if a Proficient III assistant principal becomes a principal in an elementary school for the 2022-2023 school year, the incentive would apply to the previous position’s earned effectiveness level.
For eligible staff who are not on an excellence initiative the amount of the incentive will be the same across the board.
The retention incentive is not TRS eligible and is subject to tax withholding.
