Short answer
How do Lewiston teachers move to a higher lane on the salary schedule?
Lewiston's schedule has three lanes, BA/BS, MA/MS and CAS/PhD/EdD, each with 20 steps. A teacher moves across by completing a degree. A letter of intent must be on file in the Superintendent's office by March 1 of the previous school year, and the raise starts once a copy of the degree or acceptable proof of attainment is on file.
Source: CPE collective bargaining agreement 2024-2027, Article 11, Article 23 and Schedule A, Lewiston School Committee and Lewiston Education Association. Checked .
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How is the Lewiston teacher salary schedule organized?
The agreement covers certified professional employees from September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2027 and is posted on the district's human resources page. Schedule A prints a Certified Professional Salary Scale for each of 2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026-27, each with three lanes, BA, MA and "PhD, EdD, CAS," and 20 steps. Article 7 caps the work year at 182 days.
Article 11.B sets step movement. To move a step, a continuing contract employee must have worked at least 60 days in the preceding school year, excluding sabbatical leave, and a probationary employee at least 90 days. After step 20, Article 11.I gives a longevity increase in lieu of a step, with a different amount for each lane. Our guide to reading a salary schedule explains how to find your cell.
Which units count toward a Lewiston lane change?
For classroom teachers, a completed degree. The three lanes are named for degrees, and Schedule A has no BA+ or MA+ credit lanes. Article 11 adds a few placement rules:
- Two master's degrees: an employee holding at least two master's degrees is placed on the CAS/PhD lane at the start of the school year, if the New Degree notification form was completed by March 1 of the previous school year and official transcripts document both degrees (11.K).
- ETEP without a master's: new employees with a BA/BS who completed the ETEP program but not an MA/MS are placed in the BA/BS lane; existing employees in that position stay in the MA/MS lane (11.J).
- No bachelor's degree: new employees other than CTE instructors start at the first step of the bachelor's lane and stay there until the degree or certification is earned (11.M).
Article 23.B also says that, to have earned credits place an employee "one training step higher on the salary schedule," a letter of intent must be filed, and that the new salary takes effect only when "a copy of the actual degree or acceptable proof of attainment" is on file, never before "the date of the advanced degree." With degree lanes only, graduate-level credit short of a degree does not change a Lewiston teacher's lane on its own. Our article on master's degrees versus credits covers how to plan around that.
Does Lewiston require approval before you take a course?
For tuition reimbursement, yes. Article 23.B says employees planning additional professional credits "shall consult with the Superintendent for approval of courses to be taken for the purpose of reimbursement." Article 23.C sets the terms:
- Credits must "be relevant to the employee's field" and be "approved in advance, in writing, by the Superintendent."
- The district reimburses actual tuition per credit hour up to the University of Southern Maine in-state graduate rate as of July 1, for up to six credits in any one semester and for credits earned in summer.
- For non-matriculated students, the School Committee may direct the employee to an equivalent course offered through a partnership with a different institution when that course costs less (23.C.1).
- An employee who does not complete a prepaid partnership course, or earns a grade below C, repays the tuition (23.C.2). An employee who leaves before the end of the contract year repays that year's reimbursement or prepaid tuition.
- The article does not apply to courses paid for or reimbursed by another agency (23.D).
For a lane change, the approval is the degree itself, documented to the Superintendent's office. Our pre-approval forms article covers what to keep from a reimbursement approval.
When is the deadline, and when does the new lane take effect?
March 1, a school year early. Under Article 23.B, the letter of intent must be "on file in the Superintendent's office on or before March 1 of the previous school year" for the new placement at the start of the contract year. The new salary then takes effect, "retroactive to the beginning of the school year or January 1," once a copy of the degree or acceptable proof of attainment is on file, but never earlier than the date of the advanced degree. The two-master's placement in 11.K uses the same March 1 date on the New Degree notification form.
So a teacher finishing a master's in summer 2027 should file the letter of intent by March 1, 2027 for placement in 2027-28. National Board certification works the same way: Article 11.O pays its stipend only if notice of expected attainment is given by March 1 of the previous school year. Our page on transcript deadlines has more on proof of completion.
Do graduate-level units count toward Maine certificate renewal?
This is where credit short of a degree matters most for a Lewiston teacher. Article 23.B leaves it to employees "to secure whatever credits are required by State Law in order to renew the appropriate certificate." Under Maine law, a professional teacher certificate is issued for five years and renews under state board rules that require, at a minimum, "at least 6 semester hours of professional or academic study or in-service training designed to improve the performance of the teacher in the field" (20-A M.R.S. §13013).
The Maine renewal section has the full rule, and renewal credit versus salary credit explains why a course can count for renewal without changing pay.
Where can Lewiston teachers earn graduate-level units?
Every district, Lewiston included, decides for itself whether a course counts for the purpose a teacher needs it for: license renewal, an added endorsement or a degree program. No provider, university or website can make that decision, so the rules above come first, and written approval from Lewiston's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.
Lewiston pays by completed degree, certificate level or rating rather than by units, so courses short of a degree do not change a Lewiston salary on their own (see units that count). Where graduate-level units still help is license renewal, explained in the renewal section, and any other purpose Lewiston or Maine names in writing.
| Question | What Lewiston says | What to look for on the provider's site |
|---|---|---|
| Type of unit | Lewiston: A completed degree; two master's degrees reach the CAS/PhD lane | Semester or quarter units, graduate-level or not, and the university named on the transcript and its accreditor |
| Grade | See units that count | Letter grade or pass/fail on the transcript |
| Deadline | Lewiston: March 1 of the previous school year; letter of intent | Published grading and transcript-posting time, and any rush option |
| Approval | Lewiston: Superintendent, in writing, in advance; for tuition reimbursement | Course descriptions or syllabi you can attach to an approval form |
| Price | Not set by the district | All-in price per credit, including any university or first-course fee (compare) |
Graduate-level credit providers, listed with the same facts
For renewal, or for a future move to a district that pays for units, many providers issue graduate-level units through accredited universities. Providers listed on this site, each with the same facts:
- Teacher Friendly: self-paced online, units through University of the Pacific; $336 first course for 3 credits (price notes)
- Credits for Educators: self-paced online, units through University of the Pacific; $297 for 3 credits (price notes)
- Credits for Teachers: self-paced, 6 months, units through Valley City State, Adams State, UMass Global or CSU Pueblo; from $349 for 3 credits (price notes)
- Dominican CA Online: self-paced, units through Dominican University of California; $477 for 3 credits (price notes)
- For Teachers By Teachers: self-paced, units through CSU Pueblo or UMass Global; $285 CSU Pueblo for 3 credits (price notes)
- Fresno Pacific University CE: self-paced, up to 1 year, units through Fresno Pacific University; ≈$475 for 3 credits (price notes)
The provider directory lists 28 providers and programs by what teachers need them for, and Compare sets published prices for 16 of them side by side, with transcripts from 11 universities. A listing on this site does not mean Lewiston has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.
Lewiston salary questions teachers ask
Does Lewiston pay more for credits beyond a degree?
Not through a credit lane. The 2024-2027 schedule has three degree lanes, BA/BS, MA/MS and CAS/PhD/EdD, so a completed degree is what moves a teacher across.
When is the Lewiston lane change deadline?
March 1 of the school year before the change, for the letter of intent. The raise starts once proof of the degree is on file, never before the degree date.
Does Lewiston reimburse tuition?
Yes, up to the University of Southern Maine in-state graduate rate, for up to six credits a semester plus summer credits, if the course is relevant to your field and approved in advance, in writing, by the Superintendent.
How do I reach the CAS/PhD lane with two master's degrees?
Complete the New Degree notification form by March 1 of the previous school year and submit official transcripts for both degrees. Placement starts at the beginning of the school year.
Where can Lewiston teachers take graduate-level courses for license renewal?
Lewiston does not raise pay for units short of a degree, so check the renewal rules on this page and confirm with human resources or the state agency before you enroll. Providers that teachers compare include Teacher Friendly, Credits for Educators, Credits for Teachers, Dominican CA Online, For Teachers By Teachers and Fresno Pacific University CE. They differ in format, transcript university, grading time and price; the provider directory and the Compare page list 16 providers with the same facts for each.
Sources
- CPE collective bargaining agreement, September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2027, including Schedule A, Lewiston School Committee and Lewiston Education Association. Checked
- Human Resources, Lewiston Public Schools. Checked
- Certification requirements, Maine Department of Education. Checked
- 20-A M.R.S. §13013, Professional teacher certificate, Maine Legislature. Checked
Reviewed November 12, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error