Bill Text: MS SB2263 | 2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Teachers' salaries; increase next 5 years and determine "living wage" for assistant teachers.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2013-02-05 - Died In Committee [SB2263 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2013-SB2263-Introduced.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2013 Regular Session
To: Education; Appropriations
By: Senator(s) Frazier
Senate Bill 2263
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-19-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO INCREASE THE TEACHER SALARY SCALE FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS SO THAT BEGINNING IN THE 2017-2018 SCHOOL YEAR, THE LOWEST SALARY ON THE SCALE EXCEEDS $40,000.00; TO AMEND SECTION 37-21-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO INCREASE THE SALARIES OF ASSISTANT TEACHERS DURING THE NEXT FIVE YEARS IN AN AMOUNT PROPORTIONATE TO THE INCREASES TO THE TEACHER SALARY SCALE; TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO APPOINT A STUDY COMMITTEE TO DETERMINE AN AMOUNT THAT CONSTITUTES A LIVING WAGE FOR ASSISTANT TEACHERS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 37-19-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
37-19-7. (1) This * * * subsection shall be known and
may be cited as the Mississippi "Teacher Opportunity Program (TOP)."
The allowance in the Mississippi Adequate Education Program for teachers'
salaries in each county and separate school district shall be determined and
paid in accordance with the scale for teachers' salaries as provided in this
subsection. For teachers holding the following types of licenses or the
equivalent as determined by the State Board of Education, and the following
number of years of teaching experience, the scale shall be as follows:
* * *2013-2014 School
Year * * *
Less Than 25 Years of Teaching Experience
AAAA......................................... $ * * * 37,472.00
AAA.......................................... * * * 36,370.00
AA........................................... * * * 35,268.00
A............................................ * * * 33,063.00
25 or More Years of Teaching Experience
AAAA......................................... $ * * * 39,676.00
AAA.......................................... * * * 38,575.00
AA........................................... * * * 37,472.00
A............................................ * * * 35,268.00
2014-2015 School Year
Less Than 25 Years of Teaching Experience
AAAA................................................ $ 39,533.00
AAA................................................. 38,371.00
AA.................................................. 37,208.00
A................................................... 34,882.00
25 or More Years of Teaching Experience
AAAA................................................ $ 41,859.00
AAA................................................. 40,696.00
AA.................................................. 39,533.00
A................................................... 37,208.00
2015-2016 School Year
Less Than 25 Years of Teaching Experience
AAAA................................................ $ 41,708.00
AAA................................................. 40,482.00
AA.................................................. 39,255.00
A................................................... 36,801.00
25 or More Years of Teaching Experience
AAAA................................................ $ 44,162.00
AAA................................................. 42,935.00
AA.................................................. 41,708.00
A................................................... 39,255.00
2016-2017 School Year
Less Than 25 Years of Teaching Experience
AAAA................................................ $ 44,002.00
AAA................................................. 42,709.00
AA.................................................. 41,415.00
A................................................... 38,826.00
25 or More Years of Teaching Experience
AAAA................................................ $ 46,591.00
AAA................................................. 45,297.00
AA.................................................. 44,002.00
A................................................... 41,415.00
2017-2018 School Year and School Years Thereafter
Less Than 25 Years of Teaching Experience
AAAA................................................ $ 46,423.00
AAA................................................. 45,058.00
AA.................................................. 43,693.00
A................................................... 40,962.00
25 or More Years of Teaching Experience
AAAA................................................ $ 49,154.00
AAA................................................. 47,789.00
AA.................................................. 46,423.00
A................................................... 43,693.00
Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, the State Board of Education annually shall adjust the salary scale for the preceding fiscal year to provide a cost-of-living allowance to all teachers.
The State Board of Education
shall revise the salary scale prescribed above for the * * * applicable school year
to conform to any adjustments made to the salary scale in prior fiscal years due
to revenue growth over and above five percent (5%). In any school year,
for each one percent (1%) that the Sine Die General Fund Revenue Estimate
Growth exceeds five percent (5%) for the corresponding fiscal year * * *, as certified by the Legislative Budget
Office to the State Board of Education and subject to specific appropriation
therefor by the Legislature, the State Board of Education shall revise the
salary scale to provide an additional one percent (1%) across-the-board
increase in the base salaries for each type of license.
It is the intent of the Legislature that any state funds made available for salaries of licensed personnel in excess of the funds paid for such salaries for the 1986-1987 school year shall be paid to licensed personnel pursuant to a personnel appraisal and compensation system implemented by the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall have the authority to adopt and amend rules and regulations as are necessary to establish, administer and maintain the system.
[Until July
1, * * * 2013,
this paragraph shall read as follows:]
All teachers employed on a full-time basis shall be paid a minimum salary in accordance with the above scale. Provided, however, that school districts are authorized to reduce the state minimum salary by a pro rata daily amount in order to comply with the school district employee furlough provisions of Section 37-7-308.
[From and after July
1, * * * 2013,
this paragraph shall read as follows:]
All teachers employed on a full-time basis shall be paid a minimum salary in accordance with the above scale. However, no school district shall receive any funds under this section for any school year during which the local supplement paid to any individual teacher shall have been reduced to a sum less than that paid to that individual teacher for performing the same duties from local supplement during the immediately preceding school year. The amount actually spent for the purposes of group health and/or life insurance shall be considered as a part of the aggregate amount of local supplement but shall not be considered a part of the amount of individual local supplement.
* * *2013-2014 School Year
Annual Increments
For teachers holding a Class
AAAA license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be
increased by the sum of * * *Seven Hundred Ninety‑four Dollars ($794.00) Eight
Hundred Fifty Dollars ($850.00) for each year of teaching experience
possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have
twenty-five (25) years of teaching experience, and shall be increased by Three
Hundred Ninety-seven Dollars ($397.00) for each year of teaching experience
over twenty-five (25) years up to thirty-five (35) years.
For teachers holding a Class
AAA license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be
increased by the sum of * * *Seven Hundred Twenty‑seven Dollars ($727.00) Seven
Hundred Seventy-eight Dollars ($778.00) for each year of teaching
experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall
have twenty-five (25) years of teaching experience, and shall be increased by
Three Hundred Sixty-four Dollars ($364.00) for each year of teaching experience
over twenty-five (25) years up to thirty-five (35) years.
For teachers holding a Class
AA license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be
increased by the sum of * * *Six Hundred Sixty Dollars ($660.00) Seven Hundred Seven
Dollars ($707.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the
person holding such license until such person shall have twenty-five (25) years
of teaching experience, and shall be increased by Three Hundred Thirty Dollars
($330.00) for each year of teaching experience over twenty-five (25) years up
to thirty-five (35) years.
For teachers holding a Class
A license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased
by the sum of * * * Five Hundred Thirty
Dollars ($530.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the
person holding such license until such person shall have twenty-four (24) years
of teaching experience, and shall be increased by Two Hundred Forty-eight
Dollars ($248.00) for each year of teaching experience over twenty-four (24)
years up to thirty-five (35) years.
* * *2014-2015 School Year
Annual Increments
For teachers holding a Class
AAAA license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be
increased by the sum of * * *Seven Hundred Ninety‑four Dollars ($794.00) Eight
Hundred Ninety-seven Dollars ($897.00) for each year of teaching experience
possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have * * * twenty-five (25)
years of teaching experience.
For teachers holding a Class
AAA license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be
increased by the sum of * * *Seven Hundred Twenty‑seven Dollars ($727.00) Eight
Hundred Twenty-one Dollars ($821.00) for each year of teaching experience
possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have * * * twenty-five (25)
years of teaching experience.
For teachers holding a Class
AA license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be
increased by the sum of * * *Six Hundred Sixty Dollars ($660.00) Seven Hundred Forty-six
Dollars ($746.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the
person holding such license until such person shall have * * * twenty-five (25)
years of teaching experience.
For teachers holding a Class
A license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased
by the sum of * * * Five Hundred Sixty
Dollars ($560.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the
person holding such license until such person shall have * * * twenty-four (24)
years of teaching experience.
2015-2016 School Year
Annual Increments
For teachers holding a Class AAAA license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased by the sum of Nine Hundred Forty-seven Dollars ($947.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have twenty-five (25) years of teaching experience.
For teachers holding a Class AAA license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased by the sum of Eight Hundred Sixty-seven Dollars ($867.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have twenty-five (25) years of teaching experience.
For teachers holding a Class AA license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased by the sum of Seven Hundred Eighty-eight Dollars ($788.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have twenty-five (25) years of teaching experience.
For teachers holding a Class A license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased by the sum of Five Hundred Ninety-one Dollars ($591.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have twenty-four (24) years of teaching experience.
2016-2017 School Year
Annual Increments
For teachers holding a Class AAAA license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased by the sum of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have twenty-five (25) years of teaching experience.
For teachers holding a Class AAA license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased by the sum of Nine Hundred Fifteen Dollars ($915.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have twenty-five (25) years of teaching experience.
For teachers holding a Class AA license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased by the sum of Eight Hundred Thirty-two Dollars ($832.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have twenty-five (25) years of teaching experience.
For teachers holding a Class A license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased by the sum of Six Hundred Twenty-four Dollars ($624.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have twenty-four (24) years of teaching experience.
2017-2018 School Year and School Years Thereafter
Annual Increments
For teachers holding a Class AAAA license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased by the sum of One Thousand Fifty-five Dollars ($1,055.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have twenty-five (25) years of teaching experience.
For teachers holding a Class AAA license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased by the sum of Nine Hundred Sixty-six Dollars ($966.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have twenty-five (25) years of teaching experience.
For teachers holding a Class AA license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased by the sum of Eight Hundred Seventy-eight Dollars ($878.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have twenty-five (25) years of teaching experience.
For teachers holding a Class A license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased by the sum of Six Hundred Fifty-nine Dollars ($659.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have twenty-four (24) years of teaching experience.
The level of professional training of each teacher to be used in establishing the salary allotment for the teachers for each year shall be determined by the type of valid teacher's license issued to those teachers on or before October 1 of the current school year. Provided, however, that school districts are authorized, in their discretion, to negotiate the salary levels applicable to certificated employees who are receiving retirement benefits from the retirement system of another state, and the annual experience increment provided above in Section 37-19-7 shall not be applicable to any such retired certificated employee.
(2) (a) The following employees shall receive an annual salary supplement in the amount of Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000.00), plus fringe benefits, in addition to any other compensation to which the employee may be entitled:
(i) Any licensed teacher who has met the requirements and acquired a Master Teacher certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and who is employed by a local school board or the State Board of Education as a teacher and not as an administrator. Such teacher shall submit documentation to the State Department of Education that the certificate was received prior to October 15 in order to be eligible for the full salary supplement in the current school year, or the teacher shall submit such documentation to the State Department of Education prior to February 15 in order to be eligible for a prorated salary supplement beginning with the second term of the school year.
(ii) A licensed nurse who has met the requirements and acquired a certificate from the National Board for Certification of School Nurses, Inc., and who is employed by a local school board or the State Board of Education as a school nurse and not as an administrator. The licensed school nurse shall submit documentation to the State Department of Education that the certificate was received before October 15 in order to be eligible for the full salary supplement in the current school year, or the licensed school nurse shall submit the documentation to the State Department of Education before February 15 in order to be eligible for a prorated salary supplement beginning with the second term of the school year. Provided, however, that the total number of licensed school nurses eligible for a salary supplement under this subparagraph (ii) shall not exceed thirty (30).
(iii) Any licensed school counselor who has met the requirements and acquired a National Certified School Counselor (NCSC) endorsement from the National Board of Certified Counselors and who is employed by a local school board or the State Board of Education as a counselor and not as an administrator. Such licensed school counselor shall submit documentation to the State Department of Education that the endorsement was received prior to October 15 in order to be eligible for the full salary supplement in the current school year, or the licensed school counselor shall submit such documentation to the State Department of Education prior to February 15 in order to be eligible for a prorated salary supplement beginning with the second term of the school year. However, any school counselor who started the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards process for school counselors between June 1, 2003, and June 30, 2004, and completes the requirements and acquires the Master Teacher certificate shall be entitled to the master teacher supplement, and those counselors who complete the process shall be entitled to a one-time reimbursement for the actual cost of the process as outlined in paragraph (b) of this subsection.
(iv) Any licensed speech-language pathologist and audiologist who has met the requirements and acquired a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and who is employed by a local school board or is employed by a state agency under the State Personnel Board. Such licensed speech-language pathologist and audiologist shall submit documentation to the State Department of Education that the certificate or endorsement was received prior to October 15 in order to be eligible for the full salary supplement in the current school year, or the licensed speech-language pathologist and audiologist shall submit such documentation to the State Department of Education prior to February 15 in order to be eligible for a prorated salary supplement beginning with the second term of the school year.
(b) An employee shall be reimbursed one (1) time for the actual cost of completing the process of acquiring the certificate or endorsement, excluding any costs incurred for postgraduate courses, not to exceed Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) for a school counselor or speech-language pathologist and audiologist, regardless of whether or not the process resulted in the award of the certificate or endorsement. A local school district or any private individual or entity may pay the cost of completing the process of acquiring the certificate or endorsement for any employee of the school district described under paragraph (a), and the State Department of Education shall reimburse the school district for such cost, regardless of whether or not the process resulted in the award of the certificate or endorsement. If a private individual or entity has paid the cost of completing the process of acquiring the certificate or endorsement for an employee, the local school district may agree to directly reimburse the individual or entity for such cost on behalf of the employee.
(c) All salary supplements, fringe benefits and process reimbursement authorized under this subsection shall be paid directly by the State Department of Education to the local school district and shall be in addition to its minimum education program allotments and not a part thereof in accordance with regulations promulgated by the State Board of Education, and subject to appropriation by the Legislature. Local school districts shall not reduce the local supplement paid to any employee receiving such salary supplement, and the employee shall receive any local supplement to which employees with similar training and experience otherwise are entitled.
(d) The State Department of Education may not pay any process reimbursement to a school district for an employee who does not complete the certification or endorsement process required to be eligible for the certificate or endorsement. If an employee for whom such cost has been paid, in full or in part, by a local school district or private individual or entity fails to complete the certification or endorsement process, the employee shall be liable to the school district or individual or entity for all amounts paid by the school district or individual or entity on behalf of that employee toward his or her certificate or endorsement.
(3) (a) Effective July 1, 2007, if funds are available for that purpose, the Legislature may authorize state funds for additional base compensation for teachers holding licenses in critical subject areas or the equivalent and who teach at least a majority of their courses in a critical subject area, as determined by the State Board of Education.
(b) Effective July 1, 2007, if funds are available for that purpose, the Legislature may authorize state funds for additional base compensation for teachers employed in a public school district located in a geographic area of the state designated as a critical teacher shortage area by the State Board of Education.
(4) (a) This * * * subsection shall be known and
may be cited as the "Mississippi Performance-Based Pay (MPBP)" plan.
In addition to the minimum base pay described in subsection (1) of this
section, only after full funding of MAEP and if funds are available for that
purpose, the State of Mississippi may provide monies from state funds to school
districts for the purposes of rewarding * * * licensed teachers,
administrators and nonlicensed personnel at individual schools showing
improvement in student test scores. The MPBP plan shall be developed by the
State Department of Education based on the following criteria:
(i) It is the express intent of this legislation that the MPBP plan shall utilize only existing standards of accreditation and assessment as established by the State Board of Education.
(ii) To ensure
that all of Mississippi's teachers, administrators and nonlicensed personnel at
all schools have equal access to the monies set aside in this * * * subsection, the MPBP program
shall be designed to calculate each school's performance as determined by the
school's increase in scores from the prior school year. The MPBP program shall
be based on a standardized scores rating where all levels of schools can be
judged in a statistically fair and reasonable way upon implementation. At the
end of each year, after all student achievement scores have been standardized,
the State Department of Education shall implement the MPBP plan.
(iii) To ensure all teachers cooperate in the spirit of teamwork, individual schools shall submit a plan to the local school district to be approved before the beginning of each school year beginning July 1, 2008. The plan shall include, but not be limited to, how all teachers, regardless of subject area, and administrators will be responsible for improving student achievement for their individual school.
(b) The State Board of Education shall develop the processes and procedures for designating schools eligible to participate in the MPBP. State assessment results, growth in student achievement at individual schools and other measures deemed appropriate in designating successful student achievement shall be used in establishing MPBP criteria. The State Board of Education shall develop the MPBP policies and procedures and report to the Legislature and Governor by December 1, 2006.
(5) (a) Beginning in the 2008-2009 school year, if funds are available for that purpose, each school in Mississippi shall have mentor teachers, as defined by Sections 37-9-201 through 37-9-213, who shall receive additional base compensation provided for by the State Legislature in the amount of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) per each beginning teacher that is being mentored. The additional state compensation shall be limited to those mentor teachers that provide mentoring services to beginning teachers. For the purposes of such funding, a beginning teacher shall be defined as any teacher in any school in Mississippi that has less than one (1) year of classroom experience teaching in a public school. For the purposes of such funding, no full-time academic teacher shall mentor more than two (2) beginning teachers.
(b) To be eligible for this state funding, the individual school must have a classroom management program approved by the local school board.
SECTION 2. Section 37-21-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
37-21-7. (1) This section shall be referred to as the "Mississippi Elementary Schools Assistant Teacher Program," the purpose of which shall be to provide an early childhood education program that assists in the instruction of basic skills. The State Board of Education is authorized, empowered and directed to implement a statewide system of assistant teachers in kindergarten classes and in the first, second and third grades. The assistant teacher shall assist pupils in actual instruction under the strict supervision of a licensed teacher.
(2) (a) Except as otherwise authorized under subsection (7), each school district shall employ the total number of assistant teachers funded under subsection (6) of this section. The superintendent of each district shall assign the assistant teachers to the kindergarten, first-, second- and third-grade classes in the district in a manner that will promote the maximum efficiency, as determined by the superintendent, in the instruction of skills such as verbal and linguistic skills, logical and mathematical skills, and social skills.
(b) If a licensed teacher to whom an assistant teacher has been assigned is required to be absent from the classroom, the assistant teacher may assume responsibility for the classroom in lieu of a substitute teacher. However, no assistant teacher shall assume sole responsibility of the classroom for more than three (3) consecutive school days. Further, in no event shall any assistant teacher be assigned to serve as a substitute teacher for any teacher other than the licensed teacher to whom that assistant teacher has been assigned.
(3) Assistant teachers shall have, at a minimum, a high school diploma or a GED equivalent, and shall show demonstratable proficiency in reading and writing skills. The State Department of Education shall develop a testing procedure for assistant teacher applicants to be used in all school districts in the state.
(4) (a) In order to receive funding, each school district shall:
(i) Submit a plan on the implementation of a reading improvement program to the State Department of Education; and
(ii) Develop a plan of educational accountability and assessment of performance, including pretests and posttests, for reading in Grades 1 through 6.
(b) Additionally, each school district shall:
(i) Provide annually a mandatory preservice orientation session, using an existing in-school service day, for administrators and teachers on the effective use of assistant teachers as part of a team in the classroom setting and on the role of assistant teachers, with emphasis on program goals;
(ii) Hold periodic workshops for administrators and teachers on the effective use and supervision of assistant teachers;
(iii) Provide training annually on specific instructional skills for assistant teachers;
(iv) Annually evaluate their program in accordance with their educational accountability and assessment of performance plan; and
(v) Designate the necessary personnel to supervise and report on their program.
(5) The State Department of Education shall:
(a) Develop and assist in the implementation of a statewide uniform training module, subject to the availability of funds specifically appropriated therefor by the Legislature, which shall be used in all school districts for training administrators, teachers and assistant teachers. The module shall provide for the consolidated training of each assistant teacher and teacher to whom the assistant teacher is assigned, working together as a team, and shall require further periodic training for administrators, teachers and assistant teachers regarding the role of assistant teachers;
(b) Annually evaluate the program on the district and state level. Subject to the availability of funds specifically appropriated therefor by the Legislature, the department shall develop: (i) uniform evaluation reports, to be performed by the principal or assistant principal, to collect data for the annual overall program evaluation conducted by the department; or (ii) a program evaluation model that, at a minimum, addresses process evaluation; and
(c) Promulgate rules, regulations and such other standards deemed necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section. Noncompliance with the provisions of this section and any rules, regulations or standards adopted by the department may result in a violation of compulsory accreditation standards as established by the State Board of Education and the Commission on School Accreditation.
(6) In addition to other
funds allotted under the * * *Minimum Education or Adequate Education Program, each school
district shall be allotted sufficient funding for the purpose of employing assistant
teachers. No assistant teacher shall be paid less than the amount he or
she received in the prior school year. No school district shall receive any
funds under this section for any school year during which the aggregate amount
of the local contribution to the salaries of assistant teachers by the district
shall have been reduced below such amount for the previous year.
For the * * * 2013-2014 school year * * *, the minimum salary
for assistant teachers shall be * * *
Thirteen Thousand Three Hundred Seventy-five Dollars ($13,375.00).
For the 2014-2015 school year, the minimum salary for assistant teachers shall be Fourteen Thousand One Hundred Eleven Dollars ($14,111.00).
For the 2015-2016 school year, the minimum salary for assistant teachers shall be Fourteen Thousand Eight Hundred Eighty-eight Dollars ($14,888.00).
For the 2016-2017 school year, the minimum salary for assistant teachers shall be Fifteen Thousand Seven Hundred Seven Dollars ($15,707.00).
For the 2017-2018 school year and school years thereafter, the minimum salary for assistant teachers shall be Sixteen Thousand Five Hundred Seventy-one Dollars ($16,571.00).
In addition, in any
school year, for each one percent (1%) that the Sine Die General Fund
Revenue Estimate Growth exceeds five percent (5%) * * * for the corresponding fiscal year * * *, as certified by the Legislative Budget
Office to the State Board of Education and subject to the specific
appropriation therefor by the Legislature, the State Board of Education shall
revise the salary scale in the appropriate year to provide an additional one
percent (1%) across the board increase in the base salaries for assistant teachers.
The State Board of Education shall revise the salaries prescribed above for
assistant teachers to conform to any adjustments made in prior fiscal years due
to revenue growth over and above five percent (5%). The assistant teachers
shall not be restricted to working only in the grades for which the funds were
allotted, but may be assigned to other classes as provided in subsection (2)(a)
of this section.
(7) (a) As an alternative to employing assistant teachers, any school district may use the allotment provided under subsection (6) of this section for the purpose of employing licensed teachers for kindergarten, first-, second- and third-grade classes; however, no school district shall be authorized to use the allotment for assistant teachers for the purpose of employing licensed teachers unless the district has established that the employment of licensed teachers using such funds will reduce the teacher:student ratio in the kindergarten, first-, second- and third-grade classes. All state funds for assistant teachers shall be applied to reducing teacher:student ratio in Grades K-3.
It is the intent of the Legislature that no school district shall dismiss any assistant teacher for the purpose of using the assistant teacher allotment to employ licensed teachers. School districts may rely only upon normal attrition to reduce the number of assistant teachers employed in that district.
(b) School districts meeting the highest levels of accreditation standards, as defined by the State Board of Education, shall be exempted from the provisions of subsection (4) of this section.
SECTION 3. The State Board of Education shall appoint a study committee for the purpose of determining the annual salary amount that constitutes a "living wage" for assistant teachers. Before December 31, 2013, the study committee shall prepare and submit a report on its findings, including any recommendations for necessary legislation, to the Legislature.
SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2013.
