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Bill

SB 1085

Relating to: longevity bonuses for teachers in school districts. (FE)

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Kristin Dassler-Alfheim and 8 co-sponsors

The bill creates a $7,000 longevity bonus for Wisconsin teachers after five consecutive licensed years and district employment, payable starting 2031-32.

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Bill Summary · SB 1085

Summary of Wisconsin Senate Bill 1085 (2025-2026)

Purpose and intent

SB 1085 proposes to establish a state-funded longevity bonus program for K-12 teachers in Wisconsin public school districts. The core idea is to reward teachers who have been licensed and continuously employed by a school district for multi-year spans, with a fixed bonus amount of $7,000 for each qualifying five-year period. The program is designed to begin payments in the 2031-32 school year.

Key provisions and changes

  • Eligibility for bonuses (Section 115.418):

    • Beginning in the 2031-32 school year, the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) must pay a $7,000 bonus to:
    • Individuals who are licensed as teachers by the state superintendent and have been continuously licensed for the previous 5 school years.
    • Individuals who have been continuously employed by the same school board for the previous 5 school years.
    • A teacher may receive additional bonuses for each subsequent five-year period that does not overlap with a prior bonus period (i.e., non-overlapping 5-year windows).

  • Funding and appropriations (Section 20.255 (3) (bt) and 40.02 (22) (b) 15):

    • The program would be financed from a dedicated appropriation:
    • A “sum sufficient to make the payments under s. 115.418” from the 2025-2026 Legislature, to be allocated via the specified appropriations.
    • The bill ensures there is an ongoing budget line to cover all future longevity bonus payments.

  • Reporting requirements (Section 115.418(3)):

    • Beginning in the 2031-32 school year, each school board must annually report to the DPI the names of teachers who are eligible for a bonus under the program.

  • Administrative alignment (Section 119.04(1) and related amendments):

    • The bill amends several statutory cross-references to incorporate the new program’s provisions, clarifying that the longevity bonuses are part of the state’s teacher compensation framework and are recognized in the relevant statutory sections.

Who would be affected

  • Teachers eligible for the bonus:
    • Certified Wisconsin teachers who have been continuously licensed for five consecutive school years and continuously employed by the same school district (school board) for those five years.
  • School districts:
    • Must monitor and report eligible teachers to the DPI each year starting in 2031-32.
  • Department of Public Instruction (DPI):
    • Administers the program, issues the $7,000 bonuses, and maintains the eligibility records and reporting requirements.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Effective implementation timeline:
    • The first five-year qualification window begins counting in the 2026-27 school year, but the first bonuses are paid starting in the 2031-32 school year.
  • Funding timeline:
    • Requires ongoing appropriation under 20.255(3)(bt) to fund the bonuses.
  • Non-overlapping bonuses:
    • Eligibility for subsequent bonuses is limited to non-overlapping five-year periods, ensuring teachers can accumulate multiple bonuses over time but not double-count overlapping years.

Additional notes

  • The bill specifies that the longevity bonus payments are not considered earnings for the Wisconsin Retirement System, meaning they would not affect retirement calculations as compensation.
  • The bill has companion/cosponsor support from multiple lawmakers and would be referred to the Assembly Committee on Education for consideration.

If you’d like, I can provide a plain-language FAQ or a side-by-side comparison with current teacher compensation to help readers quickly grasp the potential impact.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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