Teacher salaries; authorize supplement for teachers in critical shortage subject areas in "D" and "F" school districts.

H. B. No. 185 *HR43/R1214* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/HR43/R1214
PAGE 1 (DJ\KP)

To: Education;
Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Scott

HOUSE BILL NO. 185

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-19-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PAY A SALARY 2
SUPPLEMENT TO PERSONS EMPLOYED AS A LICENSED TEACHER IN A CRITICAL 3
SHORTAGE SUBJECT AREA BY A SCHOOL DISTRICT ASSIGNED AN 4
ACCOUNTABILITY RATING OF "D" OR "F"; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 6
SECTION 1. Section 37-19-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 7
amended as follows: 8
37-19-7. (1) Teachers' salaries in each public school 9
district shall be determined and paid in accordance with the scale 10
for teachers' salaries as provided in this subsection. For 11
teachers holding the following types of licenses or the equivalent 12
as determined by the State Board of Education, and the following 13
number of years of teaching experience, the scale shall be as 14
follows: 15
2022-2023 AND SUBSEQUENT SCHOOL YEARS MINIMUM SALARY SCHEDULE 16
Exp. AAAA AAA AA A 17
0 45,500.00 44,000.00 43,000.00 41,500.00 18
1 46,100.00 44,550.00 43,525.00 41,900.00 19
H. B. No. 185 *HR43/R1214* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1214
PAGE 2 (DJ\KP)

2 46,700.00 45,100.00 44,050.00 42,300.00 20
3 47,300.00 45,650.00 44,575.00 42,700.00 21
4 47,900.00 46,200.00 45,100.00 43,100.00 22
5 49,250.00 47,500.00 46,350.00 44,300.00 23
6 49,850.00 48,050.00 46,875.00 44,700.00 24
7 50,450.00 48,600.00 47,400.00 45,100.00 25
8 51,050.00 49,150.00 47,925.00 45,500.00 26
9 51,650.00 49,700.00 48,450.00 45,900.00 27
10 53,000.00 51,000.00 49,700.00 47,100.00 28
11 53,600.00 51,550.00 50,225.00 47,500.00 29
12 54,200.00 52,100.00 50,750.00 47,900.00 30
13 54,800.00 52,650.00 51,275.00 48,300.00 31
14 55,400.00 53,200.00 51,800.00 48,700.00 32
15 56,750.00 54,500.00 53,050.00 49,900.00 33
16 57,350.00 55,050.00 53,575.00 50,300.00 34
17 57,950.00 55,600.00 54,100.00 50,700.00 35
18 58,550.00 56,150.00 54,625.00 51,100.00 36
19 59,150.00 56,700.00 55,150.00 51,500.00 37
20 60,500.00 58,000.00 56,400.00 52,700.00 38
21 61,100.00 58,550.00 56,925.00 53,100.00 39
22 61,700.00 59,100.00 57,450.00 53,500.00 40
23 62,300.00 59,650.00 57,975.00 53,900.00 41
24 62,900.00 60,200.00 58,500.00 54,300.00 42
25 65,400.00 62,700.00 61,000.00 56,800.00 43
26 66,000.00 63,250.00 61,525.00 57,200.00 44
H. B. No. 185 *HR43/R1214* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1214
PAGE 3 (DJ\KP)

27 66,600.00 63,800.00 62,050.00 57,600.00 45
28 67,200.00 64,350.00 62,575.00 58,000.00 46
29 67,800.00 64,900.00 63,100.00 58,400.00 47
30 68,400.00 65,450.00 63,625.00 58,800.00 48
31 69,000.00 66,000.00 64,150.00 59,200.00 49
32 69,600.00 66,550.00 64,675.00 59,600.00 50
33 70,200.00 67,100.00 65,200.00 60,000.00 51
34 70,800.00 67,650.00 65,725.00 60,400.00 52
35 53
& above 71,400.00 68,200.00 66,250.00 60,800.00 54
2024-2025 AND SUBSEQUENT SCHOOL YEARS MINIMUM SALARY SCHEDULE 55
The school district, with assistance from the Department of 56
Education, shall consider the teacher's years of service and 57
license type and determine the corresponding salary for the 58
retired teacher. After determining the retired teacher's 59
corresponding salary, the school district may allocate up to one 60
hundred twenty-five percent (125%) of the amount provided under 61
the salary schedule for such teacher, as applicable, as salary and 62
assessment under the program. 63
After determining the retired teacher's salary, the school 64
district may pay no more than fifty percent (50%) of the retired 65
teacher's compensation as salary to the retired teacher. The 66
remaining fifty percent (50%) of the retired teacher's 67
compensation as salary shall be paid by the school district to 68
PERS as a pension liability participation assessment. 69
H. B. No. 185 *HR43/R1214* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1214
PAGE 4 (DJ\KP)

It is the intent of the Legislature that any state funds made 70
available for salaries of licensed personnel in excess of the 71
funds paid for such salaries for the 1986-1987 school year shall 72
be paid to licensed personnel pursuant to a personnel appraisal 73
and compensation system implemented by the State Board of 74
Education. The State Board of Education shall have the authority 75
to adopt and amend rules and regulations as are necessary to 76
establish, administer and maintain the system. 77
All teachers employed on a full-time basis shall be paid a 78
minimum salary in accordance with the above scale. However, no 79
school district shall receive any funds under this section for any 80
school year during which the local supplement paid to any 81
individual teacher shall have been reduced to a sum less than that 82
paid to that individual teacher for performing the same duties 83
from local supplement during the immediately preceding school 84
year. The amount actually spent for the purposes of group health 85
and/or life insurance shall be considered as a part of the 86
aggregate amount of local supplement but shall not be considered a 87
part of the amount of individual local supplement. 88
The level of professional training of each teacher to be used 89
in establishing the salary for the teacher for each year shall be 90
determined by the type of valid teacher's license issued to that 91
teacher on or before October 1 of the current school year. 92
However, school districts are authorized, in their discretion, to 93
negotiate the salary levels applicable to licensed employees who 94
H. B. No. 185 *HR43/R1214* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1214
PAGE 5 (DJ\KP)

are receiving retirement benefits from the retirement system of 95
another state. 96
(2) (a) The following employees shall receive an annual 97
salary supplement in the amount of Six Thousand Dollars 98
($6,000.00), plus fringe benefits, in addition to any other 99
compensation to which the employee may be entitled: 100
(i) Any licensed teacher or retired teacher 101
employed by a school district under the authority of Section 102
25-11-126 who has met the requirements and acquired a Master 103
Teacher certificate from the National Board for Professional 104
Teaching Standards and who is employed by a local school board or 105
the State Board of Education as a teacher and not as an 106
administrator. Such teacher shall submit documentation to the 107
State Department of Education that the certificate was received 108
prior to October 15 in order to be eligible for the full salary 109
supplement in the current school year, or the teacher shall submit 110
such documentation to the State Department of Education prior to 111
February 15 in order to be eligible for a prorated salary 112
supplement beginning with the second term of the school year. 113
(ii) A licensed nurse who has met the requirements 114
and acquired a certificate from the National Board for 115
Certification of School Nurses, Inc., and who is employed by a 116
local school board or the State Board of Education as a school 117
nurse and not as an administrator. The licensed school nurse 118
shall submit documentation to the State Department of Education 119
H. B. No. 185 *HR43/R1214* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1214
PAGE 6 (DJ\KP)

that the certificate was received before October 15 in order to be 120
eligible for the full salary supplement in the current school 121
year, or the licensed school nurse shall submit the documentation 122
to the State Department of Education before February 15 in order 123
to be eligible for a prorated salary supplement beginning with the 124
second term of the school year. 125
(iii) Any licensed school counselor who has met 126
the requirements and acquired a National Certified School 127
Counselor (NCSC) endorsement from the National Board of Certified 128
Counselors and who is employed by a local school board or the 129
State Board of Education as a counselor and not as an 130
administrator. Such licensed school counselor shall submit 131
documentation to the State Department of Education that the 132
endorsement was received prior to October 15 in order to be 133
eligible for the full salary supplement in the current school 134
year, or the licensed school counselor shall submit such 135
documentation to the State Department of Education prior to 136
February 15 in order to be eligible for a prorated salary 137
supplement beginning with the second term of the school year. 138
However, any school counselor who started the National Board for 139
Professional Teaching Standards process for school counselors 140
between June 1, 2003, and June 30, 2004, and completes the 141
requirements and acquires the Master Teacher certificate shall be 142
entitled to the master teacher supplement, and those counselors 143
who complete the process shall be entitled to a one-time 144
H. B. No. 185 *HR43/R1214* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1214
PAGE 7 (DJ\KP)

reimbursement for the actual cost of the process as outlined in 145
paragraph (b) of this subsection. 146
(iv) Any licensed speech-language pathologist and 147
audiologist who has met the requirements and acquired a 148
Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American 149
Speech-Language-Hearing Association and any certified academic 150
language therapist (CALT) who has met the certification 151
requirements of the Academic Language Therapy Association and who 152
is employed by a local school board. The licensed speech-language 153
pathologist and audiologist and certified academic language 154
therapist shall submit documentation to the State Department of 155
Education that the certificate or endorsement was received before 156
October 15 in order to be eligible for the full salary supplement 157
in the current school year, or the licensed speech-language 158
pathologist and audiologist and certified academic language 159
therapist shall submit the documentation to the State Department 160
of Education before February 15 in order to be eligible for a 161
prorated salary supplement beginning with the second term of the 162
school year. 163
(v) Any licensed athletic trainer who has met the 164
requirements and acquired Board Certification for the Athletic 165
Trainer from the Board of Certification, Inc., and who is employed 166
by a local school board or the State Board of Education as an 167
athletic trainer and not as an administrator. The licensed 168
athletic trainer shall submit documentation to the State 169
H. B. No. 185 *HR43/R1214* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1214
PAGE 8 (DJ\KP)

Department of Education that the certificate was received before 170
October 15 in order to be eligible for the full salary supplement 171
in the current school year, or the licensed athletic trainer shall 172
submit the documentation to the State Department of Education 173
before February 15 in order to be eligible for a prorated salary 174
supplement beginning with the second term of the school year. 175
(b) An employee shall be reimbursed for the actual cost 176
of completing each component of acquiring the certificate or 177
endorsement, excluding any costs incurred for postgraduate 178
courses, not to exceed Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) for each 179
component, not to exceed four (4) components, for a teacher, 180
school counselor or speech-language pathologist and audiologist, 181
regardless of whether or not the process resulted in the award of 182
the certificate or endorsement. A local school district or any 183
private individual or entity may pay the cost of completing the 184
process of acquiring the certificate or endorsement for any 185
employee of the school district described under paragraph (a), and 186
the State Department of Education shall reimburse the school 187
district for such cost, regardless of whether or not the process 188
resulted in the award of the certificate or endorsement. If a 189
private individual or entity has paid the cost of completing the 190
process of acquiring the certificate or endorsement for an 191
employee, the local school district may agree to directly 192
reimburse the individual or entity for such cost on behalf of the 193
employee. 194
H. B. No. 185 *HR43/R1214* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1214
PAGE 9 (DJ\KP)

(c) All salary supplements, fringe benefits and process 195
reimbursement authorized under this subsection shall be paid 196
directly by the State Department of Education to the local school 197
district and shall be in addition to its allotments from the total 198
funding formula provided in Sections 37-151-200 through 37-151-215 199
and not a part thereof in accordance with regulations promulgated 200
by the State Board of Education. Local school districts shall not 201
reduce the local supplement paid to any employee receiving such 202
salary supplement, and the employee shall receive any local 203
supplement to which employees with similar training and experience 204
otherwise are entitled. However, an educational employee shall 205
receive the salary supplement in the amount of Six Thousand 206
Dollars ($6,000.00) for only one (1) of the qualifying 207
certifications authorized under paragraph (a) of this subsection. 208
No school district shall provide more than one (1) annual salary 209
supplement under the provisions of this subsection to any one (1) 210
individual employee holding multiple qualifying national 211
certifications. 212
(d) If an employee for whom such cost has been paid, in 213
full or in part, by a local school district or private individual 214
or entity fails to complete the certification or endorsement 215
process, the employee shall be liable to the school district or 216
individual or entity for all amounts paid by the school district 217
or individual or entity on behalf of that employee toward his or 218
her certificate or endorsement. 219
H. B. No. 185 *HR43/R1214* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1214
PAGE 10 (DJ\KP)

(3) (a) The following employees shall receive an annual 220
salary supplement in the amount of Four Thousand Dollars 221
($4,000.00), plus fringe benefits, in addition to any other 222
compensation to which the employee may be entitled: 223
Effective July 1, 2016, if funds are available for that 224
purpose, any licensed teacher or retired teacher employed by a 225
local school district under the authority of Section 25-11-126 who 226
has met the requirements and acquired a Master Teacher Certificate 227
from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and 228
who is employed in a public school district located in one (1) of 229
the following counties: Claiborne, Adams, Jefferson, Wilkinson, 230
Amite, Bolivar, Coahoma, Leflore, Quitman, Sharkey, Issaquena, 231
Sunflower, Washington, Holmes, Yazoo and Tallahatchie. The salary 232
supplement awarded under the provisions of this subsection (3) 233
shall be in addition to the salary supplement awarded under the 234
provisions of subsection (2) of this section. 235
Teachers who meet the qualifications for a salary supplement 236
under this subsection (3) who are assigned for less than one (1) 237
full year or less than full time for the school year shall receive 238
the salary supplement in a prorated manner, with the portion of 239
the teacher's assignment to the critical geographic area to be 240
determined as of June 15th of the school year. 241
(b) Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, a licensed 242
teacher employed in a teaching position in a subject area in which 243
there exists a critical shortage of teachers, as determined by the 244
H. B. No. 185 *HR43/R1214* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1214
PAGE 11 (DJ\KP)

State Department of Education, by a school district that has been 245
assigned an accountability rating of "D" or "F" is eligible for an 246
annual salary supplement in an amount determined by the local 247
school district, not to exceed Fifteen Thousand Dollars 248
($15,000.00). The amount of a salary supplement under this 249
subsection (3)(b) for a qualified teacher must be established by 250
the employer school district, with consideration given to the 251
teacher's number of years experience in the critical needs subject 252
area, educational attainment, and professional certifications, 253
including a Master Teacher certificate from the National Board for 254
Professional Teaching Standards. The State Department of 255
Education shall pay directly to the local school district all 256
salary supplements awarded under this subsection (3)(b), which is 257
in addition to the district's allotments under the adequate 258
education program. A local school district may not reduce the 259
local supplement paid to any teacher receiving this salary 260
supplement, and the employee must receive any local supplement to 261
which employees with similar training and experience otherwise are 262
entitled. 263
A salary supplement awarded to a teacher under this 264
subsection (3)(b) is in addition to any other compensation to 265
which the employee may be entitled, including a salary supplement 266
awarded under subsection (2) of this section. 267
(4) (a) This subsection shall be known and may be cited as 268
the "Mississippi Performance-Based Pay (MPBP)" plan. In addition 269
H. B. No. 185 *HR43/R1214* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1214
PAGE 12 (DJ\KP)

to the minimum base pay described in this section, only if funds 270
are available for that purpose, the State of Mississippi may 271
provide monies from state funds to school districts for the 272
purposes of rewarding licensed teachers, administrators and 273
nonlicensed personnel at individual schools showing improvement in 274
student test scores. The MPBP plan shall be developed by the 275
State Department of Education based on the following criteria: 276
(i) It is the express intent of this legislation 277
that the MPBP plan shall utilize only existing standards of 278
accreditation and assessment as established by the State Board of 279
Education. 280
(ii) To ensure that all of Mississippi's teachers, 281
administrators and nonlicensed personnel at all schools have equal 282
access to the monies set aside in this section, the MPBP program 283
shall be designed to calculate each school's performance as 284
determined by the school's increase in scores from the prior 285
school year. The MPBP program shall be based on a standardized 286
scores rating where all levels of schools can be judged in a 287
statistically fair and reasonable way upon implementation. At the 288
end of each year, after all student achievement scores have been 289
standardized, the State Department of Education shall implement 290
the MPBP plan. 291
(iii) To ensure all teachers cooperate in the 292
spirit of teamwork, individual schools shall submit a plan to the 293
local school district to be approved before the beginning of each 294
H. B. No. 185 *HR43/R1214* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1214
PAGE 13 (DJ\KP)

school year. The plan shall include, but not be limited to, how 295
all teachers, regardless of subject area, and administrators will 296
be responsible for improving student achievement for their 297
individual school. 298
(b) The State Board of Education shall develop the 299
processes and procedures for designating schools eligible to 300
participate in the MPBP. State assessment results, growth in 301
student achievement at individual schools and other measures 302
deemed appropriate in designating successful student achievement 303
shall be used in establishing MPBP criteria. 304
(5) (a) If funds are available for that purpose, each 305
school in Mississippi shall have mentor teachers, as defined by 306
Sections 37-9-201 through 37-9-213, who shall receive additional 307
base compensation provided for by the State Legislature in the 308
amount of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) per each beginning 309
teacher that is being mentored. The additional state compensation 310
shall be limited to those mentor teachers that provide mentoring 311
services to beginning teachers. For the purposes of such funding, 312
a beginning teacher shall be defined as any teacher in any school 313
in Mississippi that has less than one (1) year of classroom 314
experience teaching in a public school. For the purposes of such 315
funding, no full-time academic teacher shall mentor more than two 316
(2) beginning teachers. 317
H. B. No. 185 *HR43/R1214* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1214
PAGE 14 (DJ\KP)
ST: Teacher salaries; authorize supplement for
teachers in critical shortage subject areas in
"D" and "F" school districts.
(b) To be eligible for this state funding, the 318
individual school must have a classroom management program 319
approved by the local school board. 320
(6) Effective with the 2014-2015 school year, the school 321
districts participating in the Pilot Performance-Based 322
Compensation System pursuant to Section 37-19-9 may award 323
additional teacher and administrator pay based thereon. 324
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 325
and after July 1, 2026. 326