Assistant teachers; provide a $4,000.00 increase to the minimum starting salary of.

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To: Education;
Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Bennett

HOUSE BILL NO. 1507

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-21-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
PROVIDE A $4,000.00 INCREASE TO THE MINIMUM STARTING SALARY FOR 2
ASSISTANT TEACHERS; TO PROVIDE THAT NO SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL 3
REDUCE THE LOCAL SUPPLEMENT OR PAY AN INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANT TEACHER 4
LESS THAN THE STATE MINIMUM SALARY IN A YEAR IN WHICH THE STATE 5
MINIMUM SALARY IS INCREASED; TO PROVIDE FOR A REDUCTION IN FUNDS 6
FOR DISTRICTS THAT VIOLATE THIS SECTION; TO PROVIDE THAT NO 7
DISTRICT SHALL PAY ANY ASSISTANT TEACHER LESS THAN THE STATE 8
MINIMUM SALARY UNLESS DONE SO BY A PRO RATA DAILY AMOUNT WHERE 9
THERE HAS BEEN A REDUCTION IN ADEQUATE EDUCATION PROGRAM 10
ALLOCATIONS FOR SUCH DISTRICT IN SUCH YEAR OR IN THE AMOUNT OF 11
FEDERAL FUNDS TO SUCH DISTRICT FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR; AND FOR 12
RELATED PURPOSES. 13
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 14
SECTION 1. Section 37-21-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 15
amended as follows: 16
37-21-7. (1) This section shall be referred to as the 17
"Mississippi Elementary Schools Assistant Teacher Program," the 18
purpose of which shall be to provide an early childhood education 19
program that assists in the instruction of basic skills. The 20
State Board of Education is authorized, empowered and directed to 21
implement a statewide system of assistant teachers in kindergarten 22
classes and in the first, second and third grades. The assistant 23
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teacher shall assist pupils in actual instruction under the strict 24
supervision of a licensed teacher. 25
(2) (a) Except as otherwise authorized under subsection 26
(7), each school district shall employ the total number of 27
assistant teachers funded under subsection (6) of this section. 28
The superintendent of each district shall assign the assistant 29
teachers to the kindergarten, first-, second- and third-grade 30
classes in the district in a manner that will promote the maximum 31
efficiency, as determined by the superintendent, in the 32
instruction of skills such as verbal and linguistic skills, 33
logical and mathematical skills, and social skills. 34
(b) If a licensed teacher to whom an assistant teacher 35
has been assigned is required to be absent from the classroom, the 36
assistant teacher may assume responsibility for the classroom in 37
lieu of a substitute teacher. However, no assistant teacher shall 38
assume sole responsibility of the classroom for more than three 39
(3) consecutive school days. Further, in no event shall any 40
assistant teacher be assigned to serve as a substitute teacher for 41
any teacher other than the licensed teacher to whom that assistant 42
teacher has been assigned. 43
(3) Assistant teachers shall have, at a minimum, a high 44
school diploma or a High School Equivalency Diploma equivalent, 45
and shall show demonstratable proficiency in reading and writing 46
skills. The State Department of Education shall develop a testing 47
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procedure for assistant teacher applicants to be used in all 48
school districts in the state. 49
(4) (a) In order to receive funding, each school district 50
shall: 51
(i) Submit a plan on the implementation of a 52
reading improvement program to the State Department of Education; 53
and 54
(ii) Develop a plan of educational accountability 55
and assessment of performance, including pretests and posttests, 56
for reading in Grades 1 through 6. 57
(b) Additionally, each school district shall: 58
(i) Provide annually a mandatory preservice 59
orientation session, using an existing in-school service day, for 60
administrators and teachers on the effective use of assistant 61
teachers as part of a team in the classroom setting and on the 62
role of assistant teachers, with emphasis on program goals; 63
(ii) Hold periodic workshops for administrators 64
and teachers on the effective use and supervision of assistant 65
teachers; 66
(iii) Provide training annually on specific 67
instructional skills for assistant teachers; 68
(iv) Annually evaluate their program in accordance 69
with their educational accountability and assessment of 70
performance plan; and 71
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(v) Designate the necessary personnel to supervise 72
and report on their program. 73
(5) The State Department of Education shall: 74
(a) Develop and assist in the implementation of a 75
statewide uniform training module, subject to the availability of 76
funds specifically appropriated therefor by the Legislature, which 77
shall be used in all school districts for training administrators, 78
teachers and assistant teachers. The module shall provide for the 79
consolidated training of each assistant teacher and teacher to 80
whom the assistant teacher is assigned, working together as a 81
team, and shall require further periodic training for 82
administrators, teachers and assistant teachers regarding the role 83
of assistant teachers; 84
(b) Annually evaluate the program on the district and 85
state level. Subject to the availability of funds specifically 86
appropriated therefor by the Legislature, the department shall 87
develop: (i) uniform evaluation reports, to be performed by the 88
principal or assistant principal, to collect data for the annual 89
overall program evaluation conducted by the department; or (ii) a 90
program evaluation model that, at a minimum, addresses process 91
evaluation; and 92
(c) Promulgate rules, regulations and such other 93
standards deemed necessary to effectuate the purposes of this 94
section. Noncompliance with the provisions of this section and 95
any rules, regulations or standards adopted by the department may 96
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result in a violation of compulsory accreditation standards as 97
established by the State Board of Education and the Commission on 98
School Accreditation. 99
(6) Each school district shall be allotted sufficient 100
funding under the total funding formula provided in Sections 101
37-151-200 through 37-151-215 for the purpose of employing 102
assistant teachers. * * * No school district shall pay any 103
assistant teacher less than the state minimum salary. No district 104
shall reduce the local supplement or amount paid to an individual 105
assistant teacher by the district below the state minimum salary 106
contained in this section from the previous year in a year in 107
which the state minimum salary is increased. Should any district 108
violate this subsection (6), such district's funding shall be 109
reduced by twice the amount of such reduction when computing the 110
district's allocation of total funding formula funds. However, 111
districts are authorized to reduce the state minimum salary by a 112
pro rata daily amount where there has been a reduction in (a) 113
adequate education program allocations for such district in such 114
year, or (b) the amount of federal funds to such district compared 115
to the amount received from the previous year. Nothing herein 116
contained shall prohibit any district from adopting or continuing 117
a program or plan whereby assistant teachers are paid varying 118
salaries according to classroom performance and other similar 119
standards. 120
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For assistant teachers, the minimum annual salary shall be as 121
follows: 122
* * * 2026-2027 and Subsequent Years Minimum Salary 123
................................................. * * * $21,000.00 124
In addition, for each one percent (1%) that the Sine Die 125
General Fund Revenue Estimate Growth exceeds five percent (5%) in 126
fiscal year 2006, as certified by the Legislative Budget Office to 127
the State Board of Education and subject to the specific 128
appropriation therefor by the Legislature, the State Board of 129
Education shall revise the salary scale in the appropriate year to 130
provide an additional one percent (1%) across-the-board increase 131
in the base salaries for assistant teachers. The State Board of 132
Education shall revise the salaries prescribed above for assistant 133
teachers to conform to any adjustments made in prior fiscal years 134
due to revenue growth over and above five percent (5%). The 135
assistant teachers shall not be restricted to working only in the 136
grades for which the funds were allotted, but may be assigned to 137
other classes as provided in subsection (2)(a) of this section. 138
(7) (a) As an alternative to employing assistant teachers, 139
any school district may use the funding provided under subsection 140
(6) of this section for the purpose of employing licensed teachers 141
for kindergarten, first-, second- and third-grade classes; 142
however, no school district shall be authorized to use the funding 143
for assistant teachers for the purpose of employing licensed 144
teachers unless the district has established that the employment 145
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ST: Assistant teachers; provide a $4,000.00
increase to the minimum starting salary of.
of licensed teachers using such funds will reduce the 146
teacher:student ratio in the kindergarten, first-, second- and 147
third-grade classes. All state funds for assistant teachers shall 148
be applied to reducing teacher:student ratio in Grades K-3. 149
It is the intent of the Legislature that no school district 150
shall dismiss any assistant teacher for the purpose of using the 151
assistant teacher funding to employ licensed teachers. School 152
districts may rely only upon normal attrition to reduce the number 153
of assistant teachers employed in that district. 154
(b) Districts meeting the highest levels of 155
accreditation standards, as defined by the State Board of 156
Education, shall be exempted from the provisions of subsection (4) 157
of this section. 158
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 159
and after July 1, 2026. 160