12-Month Contract Employees, Please Start by Watching This Video From Superintendent Horsley:
The Good News:
In recent years, the District has heard concerns from some employee groups about the long wait between an employee’s first day of work and their first payday. For example, a teacher starting in early August does not receive their first check until September 15th.
The district is proposing a solution to this issue by realigning contract pay dates to the 8th and 23rd of each month, making pay dates 7-8 days earlier for all employee groups except 12-month contracts. Pay dates on the 8th and 23rd of each month will also be impacted by holidays less often, making pay dates more predictable throughout the year. Other benefits include (pdf) pay being better aligned with work performed, a stronger recruiting advantage for new hires, and full compliance with state requirements.
If you are not on a 12-month contract, the key takeaway is that your pay dates will be changing to the 8th and 23rd of each month starting with the 26/27 contract year.
One drawback of this change is that 12-month contract employees will not receive a July 15, 2026 paycheck. The District is proposing a one-year, 25-pay-period model to mitigate this issue, which will include a frontloaded paycheck on July 8th for 12-month contract employees.
Information Specific to 12-Month Contract Employees:
What is Happening and Why?
Granite is making these changes in order to align pay schedules with general accounting standards, correct a past practice of paying 12-month employees in advance of time worked, and achieve the other benefits described above.
As a result of these changes, there will not be a payday on July 15, 2026 for 12-month contract employees. July 23rd will technically become the first payday of contract year 26/27. However, contract year 2026/2027 will be split into 25 pay periods with a front-loaded payday on July 8, 2026 to mitigate the effects of this change.
The July 2026 transition period does not apply to other employee groups as their contract year pay dates begin in August or September.
Is Total Pay Changing?
No. Your total contracted pay will be unchanged. However, for contract year 26/27, 12-month contract employees will be paid over 25 paychecks instead of 24. This will make each check slightly smaller. The 25th check will be frontloaded and paid on July 8, 2026.
Consider the following example for an employee earning $50,000/year:
- $50,000 ÷ 24 paydays = $2,083/check
- $50,000 ÷ 25 paydays = $2,000/check
Opting Out
12-month contract employees will have the option to opt-out of the 25 pay period proposal and continue with 24 pay periods. However, this will mean they only get one paycheck in July 2026 and that double deductions for certain insurance premiums and payroll deductions will occur. More details will be emailed out directly to 12 month employees this spring. Opt-out will be required by June 1, 2026 at 4:00 PM.
Click here for the opt-out form (pdf) (see more instructions on form).
Pay Cycle Visual for All Contract Types
Click here to view a visual outline of pay cycles for all employees (PDF), including what 25 and 24 pay options look like for 12-month contract employees.
Pay Date Change FAQ
1. Why is the District switching pay dates?
Four primary reasons:
- To correct past practice of paying 12-month employees in advance of actual time worked,
- To avoid final payout confusion and frustration for 12-month employees,
- To reduce the delay in receiving the first installment payment for other contract employees, and
- To better align paydays with school breaks throughout the year.
2. Will I receive less money than I currently receive?
No. You will not receive less money under your full annual contract; however, there will be a change in the timing of when you receive your paycheck.
There will be a one-time transition change to the new pay dates – for teachers and all other employees one week earlier, for 12-month contract employees it will be one week later.
3. Will my paycheck be less because of the change in pay dates?
No for everyone except 12-month contract employees. Employees still receive their full annual contract amount in 24 equal installments. The installment amount does not increase or decrease due to a change in pay dates.
For 12-month Contract employees, the annual contract will be paid over 25 installments in the 2026-27 school year. This will cause a decrease in the amount per paycheck because of the extra paycheck, but the overall annual contract amount will not be reduced.
4. Will this change my contract dates or when leave accruals are earned?
No. Contract start and end dates, and the number of days required to work in the contract, are not affected by pay dates.
Leave accruals are still posted on the 16th day of each month.
5. How will the change in pay dates affect my ability to pay mortgage or rent at the first of the month?
The change in pay dates will change how employees budget their monthly expenses to accommodate financial obligations.
For example, in December employees receive their second paycheck early, around the 20th. Employees will set aside money from this paycheck to pay the rent or mortgage due on January 1st. This pattern of balancing monthly finances could continue throughout the year under the changed pay periods.
6. How will this affect my final paycheck when I retire, change positions, or leave district employment?
12-month employees will no longer see a pay adjustment in their final paycheck for the advance payment processed at the start of their contract.
7. Can I choose not to have this change in pay days? Are there other options?
No. The Department of Labor and the IRS have regulations that govern when employers must pay their employees.
To ensure that all employee groups are treated fairly, employers are required to maintain consistent pay periods and paydays for all employees.
The change in pay dates is in the best interest of the District as a whole. It has many positive advantages with only a few inconveniences. A new routine is inconvenient, but necessary.
8. What other options has the administration considered in addressing the concerns of new contract employee pay timing?
The District considered other options such as splitting pay dates for different employee groups and starting new employees on a new schedule.
Alternative options introduced administrative challenges and Department of Labor and IRS complications.
Both administration and employee groups recognize the current plan to be best for the District and valued employees.
9. How long have the pay dates been a problem?
The pay date timing has been an issue for a number of years, creating two main problems:
- 12-month contract employees get paid too early in comparison to pay periods. This was exacerbated when all employees moved from being paid monthly to semi-monthly in July 2014.
- For all other contract employees, their pay is paid too late in comparison to their contract start date. The school year has moved earlier in August, causing a widening gap between the first day of contract work and the first paycheck each year.
10. What have other districts done to address the challenges with pay dates?
Most other districts experience similar challenges. Some districts only pay monthly instead of semi-monthly. Some have chosen not to address the problem at all. Others have pay dates that are similar to the ones GSD is attempting to implement.
11. How were the current pay dates selected? When did the District go to two pay days a month? Why was this not corrected then?
In consultation with employee group leadership representatives, the new pay dates were selected to advance payday forward by about a week while mitigating adverse effects on 12-month employees.
Historically, payday was on the last day of the month. As part of the 2014 Professional Agreement negotiations between GSD and GEA and GESPA, all employees began being paid semi-monthly in 2014-15 with pay days on the 15th and last day of the month.
The pay dates should have been corrected at that time. We are attempting to rectify that now.
12. Is this change just to accommodate new teachers starting in August?
No. Although there is some benefit to new teachers, this will also benefit any employees who start in August when they are hired since they will receive their first paycheck a couple of days sooner.
This change is primarily to align work and payment for 12-month employees instead of prepaying them and then withholding pay when they change positions or leave District employment.
13. Does this include 10- and 11-month contract employees?
The pay-date change affects all employees.
Everyone except those 12-month contracts who opt out of the 25-Pay Plan get paid sooner under this change. 12-month contract employees who opt out will get paid one week later under this change.
14. How does the change in pay day affect 9-month employees?
See Question 13.
15. Who will participate in the 25-Pay Plan?
All 12-month contract employees default to the 25-Pay Plan with an option to opt out.
16. Can less than 12-month employees have the 25-Pay Plan also?
No. The 25-Pay Plan is for those 12-month employees who are inconvenienced by being paid a week later.
All employees other than 12-month employees are benefited by the change and have no need of the 25-Pay Plan.
17. When will the changes come into effect?
| Contract Type | Old Year Installments | New Year Schedule Begins |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Month Contract – 24 Pay (Opt-Out Option) | 23rd and 24th installments paid June 15 and June 30 | July 23, 2026 |
| 12-Month Contract – 25-Pay Plan | 23rd and 24th installments paid June 15 and June 30 | July 8, 2026 (start of 25 pay periods) |
| 10.5- and 11-Month Contract | 23rd and 24th installments paid July 15 and July 31 | August 8, 2026 |
| 9-, 9.5-, and 10-Month Contract | 23rd and 24th installments paid August 14 and August 31 | September 8, 2026 |
| Teacher Salary Schedule Contract | Same as 9-Month Contract | September 8, 2026 |
18. Have the pay dates been identified for Fiscal Year 2026 and later dates?
Yes. See the attached schedule.