Arkansas district guide

Bentonville Schools salary schedule: how teachers move to a higher column

Bentonville Schools has plus-credit lanes, but they do not reward credit hours in general. Board Policy 3.1 counts only hours that are part of one program leading to a higher degree or a new licensure area, which changes how a Bentonville teacher should plan coursework.

By TeacherPayGuide editorsPublished · 6 min read

Short answer

How do Bentonville teachers move to a higher lane on the salary schedule?

Bentonville's 2026-2027 schedule has five lanes: Bach, B15, Masters, M+15 and M+30/Ed.S. A +15 lane is awarded after 15 hours in a program toward a higher degree, or after finishing a certificate program that adds a licensure area, with an approved Transcript Review Form. Courses from different programs cannot be added together, so loose credits do not change a lane.

Source: Bentonville Schools Board Policy 3.1, Licensed Personnel Salary Schedule. Checked .

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How is the Bentonville teacher salary schedule organized?

The 2026-2027 licensed salary schedule was approved by the board on April 20, 2026 and took effect July 1, 2026. It has five lanes, Bach, B15, Masters, M+15 and M+30/Ed.S, and 26 steps for zero to 25 years of experience.

Policy 3.1, in the board's 2025-2026 policy manual, says a teacher has worked a "year" with at least 160 days, and that an advanced degree counts when it comes from a program at the master's level or higher at an accredited institution. Our guide to reading a salary schedule explains lanes and steps.

Which units count toward a Bentonville lane change?

Only hours inside a program. Policy 3.1 says "all credit hours must advance an employee toward a higher degree or toward a new certification or area of licensure in education." It then sets out three paths:

  • Part of a higher degree. The bachelor's +15 or master's +15 is awarded "after the completion of 15 hours and an approved Transcript Review Form."
  • Part of a second master's. The master's +30 is awarded after the program is complete, with an approved Transcript Review Form.
  • Part of a certificate program. The +15 is added after the program is complete, the new licensure area is on the teacher's Arkansas Educator License, and the Transcript Review Form is approved.

The policy closes the door on combining courses: "All courses to be counted toward a salary lane change must be part of a cohesive program of study; courses from disparate programs of study may not be added together to receive a salary lane change." Graduate-level credit taken course by course, outside a program, does not move a Bentonville teacher. Our article on master's degrees versus loose credits covers this kind of rule.

Who approves a Bentonville lane change?

Human Resources, through the Transcript Review Form named in Policy 3.1. Every plus-lane path in the policy ends with "an approved Transcript Review Form." The policy does not describe a separate step before enrollment, so it is worth asking HR to review your program of study before you start it. Our article on pre-approval forms explains what to ask for in writing.

When does a Bentonville lane change take effect?

Policy 3.1 does not set a filing date or an effective date. It puts the duty on the teacher: teachers who have earned an advanced degree or enough college hours for a salary change "are responsible for reporting and supplying a transcript to human resources," according to the policy. Ask HR when a change filed in a given month starts to pay. Our transcript deadlines article has tips for getting transcripts in quickly.

Do the same units count toward Arkansas license renewal?

Yes, in part, and this is where single courses count most for a Bentonville teacher. Under 6 CAR pt. 183, section 183-104(g), "five (5) hours of credit for professional development shall be given for every one (1) hour of college credit for a graduate-level course," and up to 15 of those hours may be credited to the professional development requirements for licensure; hours above 15 may count toward other professional development requirements "if approved by the school district in a professional development plan." DESE's memo LIC-25-001 sets 36 PD hours a year, tracked by the district.

The Arkansas renewal section has the full rules, and the Arkansas state guide compares Bentonville with Springdale.

Where can Bentonville teachers earn graduate-level units?

Every district, Bentonville included, decides for itself whether a course counts for the purpose a teacher needs it for: a column move, a stipend, license renewal or an added endorsement. No provider, university or website can make that decision, so the rules above come first, and written approval from Bentonville's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.

At Bentonville, credit hours move a teacher to a +15 or +30 lane only when they are part of a program toward a higher degree or a new certification or licensure area, filed with an approved Transcript Review Form (see units that count). Courses taken on their own, outside such a program, do not change a lane. Units can still count toward Arkansas professional development hours; see the renewal section.

Bentonville's Policy 3.1, Licensed Personnel Salary Schedule, says that to qualify for the bachelor's-plus and master's-plus lanes "all credit hours must advance an employee toward a higher degree or toward a new certification or area of licensure in education," and that "all courses to be counted toward a salary lane change must be part of a cohesive program of study; courses from disparate programs of study may not be added together to receive a salary lane change." Stand-alone continuing-education courses for teachers are usually sold outside any degree or licensure program, so they would not meet this rule for a lane change. Ask Human Resources how a specific program is reviewed before you enroll.

Because Bentonville screens courses and providers under its own rules, this page does not point to any one provider. Check a course against those rules and get written approval before you pay for it. Published prices for 16 providers are on Compare; check each one against Bentonville's rules.

Bentonville salary questions teachers ask

Does Bentonville pay for credits beyond a degree?

Only for hours inside a program toward a higher degree or a new certification or licensure area. Courses from different programs cannot be combined for a lane change.

What form does Bentonville use for a lane change?

A Transcript Review Form, approved by the district. Each plus-lane path in Policy 3.1 requires one.

How do I reach the M+30 lane?

Policy 3.1 awards the master's +30 after a second master's program is complete and the Transcript Review Form is approved.

Can graduate-level courses still help with my license?

Yes. Arkansas gives five professional development hours for each hour of graduate-level college credit, up to 15 hours toward the licensure requirement. Hours above 15 can count toward other professional development requirements if the district approves them in a professional development plan.

Sources

  1. 2026-2027 licensed salary schedule, Bentonville Schools. Checked
  2. Board Policy 3.1, Licensed Personnel Salary Schedule, Bentonville Schools. Checked
  3. 6 CAR pt. 183, professional development, Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. Checked
  4. Licensure memo LIC-25-001, Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. Checked

Reviewed November 12, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error

Other Arkansas district guides

SpringdaleSpringdale teachers move to the BACH+15, MAST+15 and MAST+30 lanes with hours completed after their last degree, filed with the Business Office by the last working day in August; changes apply going forward, with no back pay.
State guideArkansas guideArkansas licenses renew every five years on yearly PD that districts track. How college credit converts and how Springdale and Bentonville set lanes.ArticleSalary lane change guideThe teacher salary lane change process: how many units a column takes, which units count, pre-approval, filing deadlines and when the raise starts.ArticleMaster's vs. creditsHow teacher salary schedules treat a master's degree compared with non-degree graduate-level units, with column rules from nine districts and three states.CompareCompare providersSixteen online providers of graduate-level credit for teacher salary advancement, compared on list price, transcript university, grading and turnaround.