Montgomery County teachers used to earning a contractual supplement because they teach six classes won't know until school begins if they'll get the additional dollars again.

On Aug. 18, the Montgomery County School Board is expected to hear its second round of details about the supplements, including how awarding them this year could affect the budget. Then its members are likely to decide how to proceed.

School begins the following day.

If they forgo the supplement, "I think we're going to penalize some people," board Chairman Wendell Jones said at Tuesday night's meeting. "Right or wrong, the stipend was somewhat expected."

During the meeting, Nelson Simpkins, the system's director of secondary education, asked the board to review a new process for deciding who gets the supplement.

For at least nine years, some secondary teachers who instruct six classes have received a stipend equal to about one-seventh of their salary. The practice is based on a vague section of the state administrative code that governs teacher workload.

It gives school divisions three options for a teacher's workday. Teachers should instruct no more than five-sixths of the instructional day, with a five-class day and no more than 150 students each day. Those on block schedules, which have longer class times, can instruct six classes with no more than 120 students daily. Teachers with small classes can teach six periods a day if they don't have more than 75 students a day.

Those teaching more than 75 students on a six-class day should be compensated, according to the code.

Last year, when the school system was looking at ways to cut costs in the face of a $4 million budget reduction, the supplements and the governing code came up in the discussion.

Simpkins told principals that, in some case, the supplements could vanish.

However, the regulation is based on the premise that schools have six periods a day. Most Montgomery County schools use schedules that differ from six periods.

Simpkins said because course schedules vary by school, pay should be based on the number of minutes teachers work in a given school day, not the number of periods they instruct.

Some teachers who have lost, or risk losing, the stipend based on that method, say that's a manipulation of the code's wording. Some teachers have filed grievances and others have taken their complaints to the school board multiple times.

"We believe the facts are on our side, no matter how the semantics are twisted around," said Mike Kaylor, a Blacksburg High School digital arts teacher who stands to lose about $6,000 annually.

Board members say they worry cutting the supplement will shortchange teachers and that they want to be fair -- but they still they don't have a full picture of how changing the practice would affect the school system.

To set a new standard, Simpkins suggests omitting from county practices the section of the code that outlines 75 students and 30 class periods. His recommendation would give teachers the supplement if they exceeded the other numerical guidelines in the code.

Board members refused to act on the new standard until they receive further information.

Simpkins said the change would give him a more clear direction to follow because the code is vague.

Most board members agree they don't want to take away stipends for current teachers, but they can't see continuing the practice.

"If that means that we have to come up with an understanding that we, over a couple of years, we fade the stipend out, then we do," said board member Penny Franklin.