North DakotaNorth Dakota law allows career centers and districts to offer signing bonuses
Career center boards may offer first-year bonuses to some new hires, while school districts may pay bonuses only after licensing and other required conditions are met.
What it does
Career center boards may offer a first-year signing bonus to licensed or approved hires who were not North Dakota classroom teachers in the previous school year. The bonus stays outside the regular salary schedule and continuing-contract pay.
School districts may offer signing bonuses to eligible hires for roles they have not held with that district. Payment must wait until they are licensed and qualified; some teachers moving from another North Dakota district must work two years first.
Argument forCareer centers and districts may use bonuses to attract licensed or approved people to teaching jobs, including roles they have not held before.
Argument againstTeachers who held the same role at another North Dakota district last year may have to work two years in the new district before receiving a bonus.
More detail
A career center board may offer a first-year signing bonus. The person must be licensed or approved by the Education Standards and Practices Board, have signed an employment contract with the center board, and not have been a North Dakota classroom teacher during the previous school year. The bonus is added to negotiated contract pay, but cannot be included in the negotiated salary schedule or counted as salary for continuing contract purposes.
A school district board may offer a signing bonus and pay it in one lump sum or installments. The person must be licensed or approved by the Education Standards and Practices Board, have signed an employment contract with the district, and never have worked in the newly assigned role for that district. The bill text has a wording error in this last condition. The bonus is added to negotiated contract pay, but cannot be included in the district's negotiated salary schedule or counted as salary for continuing contract purposes. The district may not pay until the person is licensed and qualified for the new role. A person who worked in that same role for another North Dakota district in the prior year must work in the new district for two years before receiving the bonus. A district may pay the bonus in one lump sum when the person signs a contract or in installments over no more than five years. The licensing and two-year waiting rules also apply.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2025
- Apr 25Filed with Secretary Of State 04/23Latest
- Apr 24Signed by Governor Kelly Armstrong 04/23Became Law
- Apr 22Sent to GovernorTo Governor
- Apr 22Signed by Speaker
- Apr 21Signed by President
- Apr 17Second reading, passed, yeas 85 nays 7, Emergency clause carriedMajor
- Vote recorded Motion for Final Passage on HB 1498. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 17Concurred
- Apr 7Returned to House (12)
- Apr 4Emergency clause carried
- Vote recorded Motion for Final Passage on HB 1498. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 4Second reading, passed as amended, yeas 44 nays 1Passed Senate
- Apr 4Amendment adopted, placed on calendar
- Apr 3Reported back amended, do pass, amendment placed on calendar 5 0 0Minor
- Mar 20Committee Hearing 10:30
- Feb 13Introduced, first reading, (emergency), referred Workforce Development CommitteeMinor
- Feb 7Received from House
- Feb 6Second reading, passed, yeas 89 nays 4, Emergency clause carriedPassed House
- Vote recorded Motion for Final Passage on HB 1498. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 5Amendment adopted, placed on calendar
- Feb 4Reported back amended, do pass, amendment placed on calendar 12 0 2Minor
- Jan 29Committee Hearing 03:00
- Jan 20Introduced, first reading, referred Education CommitteeIntroduced
Education