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SB2001 • 2026

School teachers, assistant teachers, and college faculty; raise pay of.

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-19-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE FOR AN INCREASE TO THE MINIMUM TEACHER SALARY SCALE; TO AMEND SECTION 37-21-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT NO SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL REDUCE THE LOCAL SUPPLEMENT OR PAY AN INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANT TEACHER LESS THAN THE STATE MINIMUM SALARY IN A YEAR IN WHICH THE STATE MINIMUM SALARY IS INCREASED; TO PROVIDE FOR A REDUCTION IN FUNDS FOR DISTRICTS THAT VIOLATE THIS SECTION; TO PROVIDE THAT NO DISTRICT SHALL PAY ANY ASSISTANT TEACHER LESS THAN THE STATE MINIMUM SALARY UNLESS DONE SO BY A PRO RATA DAILY AMOUNT WHERE THERE HAS BEEN A REDUCTION IN ADEQUATE EDUCATION PROGRAM ALLOCATIONS FOR SUCH DISTRICT IN SUCH YEAR OR IN THE AMOUNT OF FEDERAL FUNDS TO SUCH DISTRICT FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR; TO PROVIDE FOR AN INCREASE TO THE MINIMUM BASE SALARY FOR ASSISTANT TEACHERS; TO EXPRESS THE LEGISLATURE'S INTENT THAT EACH FULL-TIME PROFESSOR OR INSTRUCTOR AT A STATE INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING OR COMMUNITY OR JUNIOR COLLEGE RECEIVE A SALARY INCREASE ABOVE EXISTING PAY; TO EXPRESS THE INTENT OF THE LEGISLATURE THAT ALL FULL-TIME PROFESSORS, ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS, ASSISTANT PROFESSORS AND COURSE INSTRUCTORS OF ANY INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING OR COMMUNITY OR JUNIOR COLLEGE RECEIVE A SALARY INCREASE OF $2,000.00 ABOVE THEIR CURRENT SALARIES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Education
Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
DeBar, Hopson, Boyd, Barnett, Blackmon, Blackwell, Blount, Brumfield, Butler, Chism, DuPree, Fillingane, Frazier, Gillespie Isom, Harkins, Hickman, Jackson, Ladner, McCaughn, McLendon, McMahan, Michel, Mumford, Norwood, Pope, Simmons (12th), Simmons (13th), Sparks, Suber, Thomas, Wiggins
Last action
2026-03-03
Official status
Dead
Effective date
July 1, 20

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass, so its exact impact is uncertain.

Increase Pay for Teachers and College Faculty

This bill proposes to raise minimum salaries for teachers, assistant teachers, and college faculty in Mississippi.

What This Bill Does

  • Raises the minimum salary scale for school teachers based on years of experience and license type.
  • Ensures that no school district reduces local supplements or pays assistant teachers less than the state's new minimum salary when it increases.
  • Reduces funding for districts that do not comply with the new salary requirements.
  • Increases the base salary for assistant teachers to match the new state minimum.
  • Expresses a legislative intent for full-time professors and instructors at higher education institutions to receive a $2,000 pay raise.

Who It Names or Affects

  • School teachers in Mississippi
  • Assistant teachers in Mississippi
  • Full-time college faculty members in Mississippi

Terms To Know

Minimum salary scale
The lowest amount of money that schools must pay their teachers based on experience and qualifications.
Local supplement
Additional funding provided by local school districts to support teacher salaries beyond the state minimum.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This bill did not pass during its session.
  • The specific details of how colleges and universities will implement salary increases are not outlined in the bill text.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-03 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    03/03 (H) Died In Committee

  2. 2026-02-06 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/06 (H) Referred To Education;Appropriations A

  3. 2026-01-08 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/08 (S) Transmitted To House

  4. 2026-01-07 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/07 (S) Passed

  5. 2026-01-06 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/06 (S) Title Suff Do Pass

  6. 2026-01-06 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/06 (S) Referred To Education

Official Summary Text

School teachers, assistant teachers, and college faculty; raise pay of.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
S. B. No. 2001 *SS08/R89.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
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To: Education
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) DeBar, Hopson, Boyd, Barnett,
Blackmon, Blackwell, Blount, Brumfield,
Butler, Chism, DuPree, Fillingane, Frazier,
Gillespie Isom, Harkins, Hickman, Jackson,
Ladner, McCaughn, McLendon, McMahan, Michel,
Mumford, Norwood, Pope, Simmons (12th),
Simmons (13th), Sparks, Suber, Thomas,
Wiggins

SENATE BILL NO. 2001

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-19-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
PROVIDE FOR AN INCREASE TO THE MINIMUM TEACHER SALARY SCALE; TO 2
AMEND SECTION 37-21-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT 3
NO SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL REDUCE THE LOCAL SUPPLEMENT OR PAY AN 4
INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANT TEACHER LESS THAN THE STATE MINIMUM SALARY IN 5
A YEAR IN WHICH THE STATE MINIMUM SALARY IS INCREASED; TO PROVIDE 6
FOR A REDUCTION IN FUNDS FOR DISTRICTS THAT VIOLATE THIS SECTION; 7
TO PROVIDE THAT NO DISTRICT SHALL PAY ANY ASSISTANT TEACHER LESS 8
THAN THE STATE MINIMUM SALARY UNLESS DONE SO BY A PRO RATA DAILY 9
AMOUNT WHERE THERE HAS BEEN A REDUCTION IN ADEQUATE EDUCATION 10
PROGRAM ALLOCATIONS FOR SUCH DISTRICT IN SUCH YEAR OR IN THE 11
AMOUNT OF FEDERAL FUNDS TO SUCH DISTRICT FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR; 12
TO PROVIDE FOR AN INCREASE TO THE MINIMUM BASE SALARY FOR 13
ASSISTANT TEACHERS; TO EXPRESS THE LEGISLATURE'S INTENT THAT EACH 14
FULL-TIME PROFESSOR OR INSTRUCTOR AT A STATE INSTITUTION OF HIGHER 15
LEARNING OR COMMUNITY OR JUNIOR COLLEGE RECEIVE A SALARY INCREASE 16
ABOVE EXISTING PAY; TO EXPRESS THE INTENT OF THE LEGISLATURE THAT 17
ALL FULL-TIME PROFESSORS, ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS, ASSISTANT 18
PROFESSORS AND COURSE INSTRUCTORS OF ANY INSTITUTION OF HIGHER 19
LEARNING OR COMMUNITY OR JUNIOR COLLEGE RECEIVE A SALARY INCREASE 20
OF $2,000.00 ABOVE THEIR CURRENT SALARIES; AND FOR RELATED 21
PURPOSES. 22
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 23
SECTION 1. Section 37-19-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 24
amended as follows: 25
37-19-7. (1) Teachers' salaries in each public school 26
district shall be determined and paid in accordance with the scale 27
for teachers' salaries as provided in this subsection. For 28
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teachers holding the following types of licenses or the equivalent 29
as determined by the State Board of Education, and the following 30
number of years of teaching experience, the scale shall be as 31
follows: 32
* * * 33
2026-2027 AND SUBSEQUENT SCHOOL YEARS MINIMUM SALARY SCHEDULE 34
Exp. AAAA AAA AA A 35
0 47,500.00 46,000.00 45,000.00 43,500.00 36
1 48,100.00 46,550.00 45,525.00 43,900.00 37
2 48,700.00 47,100.00 46,050.00 44,300.00 38
3 49,300.00 47,650.00 46,575.00 44,700.00 39
4 49,900.00 48,200.00 47,100.00 45,100.00 40
5 51,250.00 49,500.00 48,350.00 46,300.00 41
6 51,850.00 50,050.00 48,875.00 46,700.00 42
7 52,450.00 50,600.00 49,400.00 47,100.00 43
8 53,050.00 51,150.00 49,925.00 47,500.00 44
9 53,650.00 51,700.00 50,450.00 47,900.00 45
10 55,000.00 53,000.00 51,700.00 49,100.00 46
11 55,600.00 53,550.00 52,225.00 49,500.00 47
12 56,200.00 54,100.00 52,750.00 49,900.00 48
13 56,800.00 54,650.00 53,275.00 50,300.00 49
14 57,400.00 55,200.00 53,800.00 50,700.00 50
15 58,750.00 56,500.00 55,050.00 51,900.00 51
16 59,350.00 57,050.00 55,575.00 52,300.00 52
17 59,950.00 57,600.00 56,100.00 52,700.00 53
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18 60,550.00 58,150.00 56,625.00 53,100.00 54
19 61,150.00 58,700.00 57,150.00 53,500.00 55
20 62,500.00 60,000.00 58,400.00 54,700.00 56
21 63,100.00 60,550.00 58,925.00 55,100.00 57
22 63,700.00 61,100.00 59,450.00 55,500.00 58
23 64,300.00 61,650.00 59,975.00 55,900.00 59
24 64,900.00 62,200.00 60,500.00 56,300.00 60
25 67,400.00 64,700.00 63,000.00 58,800.00 61
26 68,000.00 65,250.00 63,525.00 59,200.00 62
27 68,600.00 65,800.00 64,050.00 59,600.00 63
28 69,200.00 66,350.00 64,575.00 60,000.00 64
29 69,800.00 66,900.00 65,100.00 60,400.00 65
30 70,400.00 67,450.00 65,625.00 60,800.00 66
31 71,000.00 68,000.00 66,150.00 61,200.00 67
32 71,600.00 68,550.00 66,675.00 61,600.00 68
33 72,200.00 69,100.00 67,200.00 62,000.00 69
34 72,800.00 69,650.00 67,725.00 62,400.00 70
35 71
& above 73,400.00 70,200.00 68,250.00 62,800.00 72
* * * 73
The school district, with assistance from the Department of 74
Education, shall consider the teacher's years of service and 75
license type and determine the corresponding salary for the 76
retired teacher. After determining the retired teacher's 77
corresponding salary, the school district may allocate up to one 78
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hundred twenty-five percent (125%) of the amount provided under 79
the salary schedule for such teacher, as applicable, as salary and 80
assessment under the program. 81
After determining the retired teacher's salary, the school 82
district may pay no more than fifty percent (50%) of the retired 83
teacher's compensation as salary to the retired teacher. The 84
remaining fifty percent (50%) of the retired teacher's 85
compensation as salary shall be paid by the school district to 86
PERS as a pension liability participation assessment. 87
It is the intent of the Legislature that any state funds made 88
available for salaries of licensed personnel in excess of the 89
funds paid for such salaries for the 1986-1987 school year shall 90
be paid to licensed personnel pursuant to a personnel appraisal 91
and compensation system implemented by the State Board of 92
Education. The State Board of Education shall have the authority 93
to adopt and amend rules and regulations as are necessary to 94
establish, administer and maintain the system. 95
All teachers employed on a full-time basis shall be paid a 96
minimum salary in accordance with the above scale. However, no 97
school district shall receive any funds under this section for any 98
school year during which the local supplement paid to any 99
individual teacher shall have been reduced to a sum less than that 100
paid to that individual teacher for performing the same duties 101
from local supplement during the immediately preceding school 102
year. The amount actually spent for the purposes of group health 103
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and/or life insurance shall be considered as a part of the 104
aggregate amount of local supplement but shall not be considered a 105
part of the amount of individual local supplement. 106
The level of professional training of each teacher to be used 107
in establishing the salary for the teacher for each year shall be 108
determined by the type of valid teacher's license issued to that 109
teacher on or before October 1 of the current school year. 110
However, school districts are authorized, in their discretion, to 111
negotiate the salary levels applicable to licensed employees who 112
are receiving retirement benefits from the retirement system of 113
another state. 114
(2) (a) The following employees shall receive an annual 115
salary supplement in the amount of Six Thousand Dollars 116
($6,000.00), plus fringe benefits, in addition to any other 117
compensation to which the employee may be entitled: 118
(i) Any licensed teacher or retired teacher 119
employed by a school district under the authority of Section 120
25-11-126 who has met the requirements and acquired a Master 121
Teacher certificate from the National Board for Professional 122
Teaching Standards and who is employed by a local school board or 123
the State Board of Education as a teacher and not as an 124
administrator. Such teacher shall submit documentation to the 125
State Department of Education that the certificate was received 126
prior to October 15 in order to be eligible for the full salary 127
supplement in the current school year, or the teacher shall submit 128
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such documentation to the State Department of Education prior to 129
February 15 in order to be eligible for a prorated salary 130
supplement beginning with the second term of the school year. 131
(ii) A licensed nurse who has met the requirements 132
and acquired a certificate from the National Board for 133
Certification of School Nurses, Inc., and who is employed by a 134
local school board or the State Board of Education as a school 135
nurse and not as an administrator. The licensed school nurse 136
shall submit documentation to the State Department of Education 137
that the certificate was received before October 15 in order to be 138
eligible for the full salary supplement in the current school 139
year, or the licensed school nurse shall submit the documentation 140
to the State Department of Education before February 15 in order 141
to be eligible for a prorated salary supplement beginning with the 142
second term of the school year. 143
(iii) Any licensed school counselor who has met 144
the requirements and acquired a National Certified School 145
Counselor (NCSC) endorsement from the National Board of Certified 146
Counselors and who is employed by a local school board or the 147
State Board of Education as a counselor and not as an 148
administrator. Such licensed school counselor shall submit 149
documentation to the State Department of Education that the 150
endorsement was received prior to October 15 in order to be 151
eligible for the full salary supplement in the current school 152
year, or the licensed school counselor shall submit such 153
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documentation to the State Department of Education prior to 154
February 15 in order to be eligible for a prorated salary 155
supplement beginning with the second term of the school year. 156
However, any school counselor who started the National Board for 157
Professional Teaching Standards process for school counselors 158
between June 1, 2003, and June 30, 2004, and completes the 159
requirements and acquires the Master Teacher certificate shall be 160
entitled to the master teacher supplement, and those counselors 161
who complete the process shall be entitled to a one-time 162
reimbursement for the actual cost of the process as outlined in 163
paragraph (b) of this subsection. 164
(iv) Any licensed speech-language pathologist and 165
audiologist who has met the requirements and acquired a 166
Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American 167
Speech-Language-Hearing Association and any certified academic 168
language therapist (CALT) who has met the certification 169
requirements of the Academic Language Therapy Association and who 170
is employed by a local school board. The licensed speech-language 171
pathologist and audiologist and certified academic language 172
therapist shall submit documentation to the State Department of 173
Education that the certificate or endorsement was received before 174
October 15 in order to be eligible for the full salary supplement 175
in the current school year, or the licensed speech-language 176
pathologist and audiologist and certified academic language 177
therapist shall submit the documentation to the State Department 178
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of Education before February 15 in order to be eligible for a 179
prorated salary supplement beginning with the second term of the 180
school year. 181
(v) Any licensed athletic trainer who has met the 182
requirements and acquired Board Certification for the Athletic 183
Trainer from the Board of Certification, Inc., and who is employed 184
by a local school board or the State Board of Education as an 185
athletic trainer and not as an administrator. The licensed 186
athletic trainer shall submit documentation to the State 187
Department of Education that the certificate was received before 188
October 15 in order to be eligible for the full salary supplement 189
in the current school year, or the licensed athletic trainer shall 190
submit the documentation to the State Department of Education 191
before February 15 in order to be eligible for a prorated salary 192
supplement beginning with the second term of the school year. 193
(b) An employee shall be reimbursed for the actual cost 194
of completing each component of acquiring the certificate or 195
endorsement, excluding any costs incurred for postgraduate 196
courses, not to exceed Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) for each 197
component, not to exceed four (4) components, for a teacher, 198
school counselor or speech-language pathologist and audiologist, 199
regardless of whether or not the process resulted in the award of 200
the certificate or endorsement. A local school district or any 201
private individual or entity may pay the cost of completing the 202
process of acquiring the certificate or endorsement for any 203
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employee of the school district described under paragraph (a), and 204
the State Department of Education shall reimburse the school 205
district for such cost, regardless of whether or not the process 206
resulted in the award of the certificate or endorsement. If a 207
private individual or entity has paid the cost of completing the 208
process of acquiring the certificate or endorsement for an 209
employee, the local school district may agree to directly 210
reimburse the individual or entity for such cost on behalf of the 211
employee. 212
(c) All salary supplements, fringe benefits and process 213
reimbursement authorized under this subsection shall be paid 214
directly by the State Department of Education to the local school 215
district and shall be in addition to its allotments from the total 216
funding formula provided in Sections 37-151-200 through 37-151-215 217
and not a part thereof in accordance with regulations promulgated 218
by the State Board of Education. Local school districts shall not 219
reduce the local supplement paid to any employee receiving such 220
salary supplement, and the employee shall receive any local 221
supplement to which employees with similar training and experience 222
otherwise are entitled. However, an educational employee shall 223
receive the salary supplement in the amount of Six Thousand 224
Dollars ($6,000.00) for only one (1) of the qualifying 225
certifications authorized under paragraph (a) of this subsection. 226
No school district shall provide more than one (1) annual salary 227
supplement under the provisions of this subsection to any one (1) 228
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individual employee holding multiple qualifying national 229
certifications. 230
(d) If an employee for whom such cost has been paid, in 231
full or in part, by a local school district or private individual 232
or entity fails to complete the certification or endorsement 233
process, the employee shall be liable to the school district or 234
individual or entity for all amounts paid by the school district 235
or individual or entity on behalf of that employee toward his or 236
her certificate or endorsement. 237
(3) The following employees shall receive an annual salary 238
supplement in the amount of Four Thousand Dollars ($4,000.00), 239
plus fringe benefits, in addition to any other compensation to 240
which the employee may be entitled: 241
Effective July 1, 2016, if funds are available for that 242
purpose, any licensed teacher or retired teacher employed by a 243
local school district under the authority of Section 25-11-126 who 244
has met the requirements and acquired a Master Teacher Certificate 245
from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and 246
who is employed in a public school district located in one (1) of 247
the following counties: Claiborne, Adams, Jefferson, Wilkinson, 248
Amite, Bolivar, Coahoma, Leflore, Quitman, Sharkey, Issaquena, 249
Sunflower, Washington, Holmes, Yazoo and Tallahatchie. The salary 250
supplement awarded under the provisions of this subsection (3) 251
shall be in addition to the salary supplement awarded under the 252
provisions of subsection (2) of this section. 253
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Teachers who meet the qualifications for a salary supplement 254
under this subsection (3) who are assigned for less than one (1) 255
full year or less than full time for the school year shall receive 256
the salary supplement in a prorated manner, with the portion of 257
the teacher's assignment to the critical geographic area to be 258
determined as of June 15th of the school year. 259
(4) (a) This subsection shall be known and may be cited as 260
the "Mississippi Performance-Based Pay (MPBP)" plan. In addition 261
to the minimum base pay described in this section, only if funds 262
are available for that purpose, the State of Mississippi may 263
provide monies from state funds to school districts for the 264
purposes of rewarding licensed teachers, administrators and 265
nonlicensed personnel at individual schools showing improvement in 266
student test scores. The MPBP plan shall be developed by the 267
State Department of Education based on the following criteria: 268
(i) It is the express intent of this legislation 269
that the MPBP plan shall utilize only existing standards of 270
accreditation and assessment as established by the State Board of 271
Education. 272
(ii) To ensure that all of Mississippi's teachers, 273
administrators and nonlicensed personnel at all schools have equal 274
access to the monies set aside in this section, the MPBP program 275
shall be designed to calculate each school's performance as 276
determined by the school's increase in scores from the prior 277
school year. The MPBP program shall be based on a standardized 278
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scores rating where all levels of schools can be judged in a 279
statistically fair and reasonable way upon implementation. At the 280
end of each year, after all student achievement scores have been 281
standardized, the State Department of Education shall implement 282
the MPBP plan. 283
(iii) To ensure all teachers cooperate in the 284
spirit of teamwork, individual schools shall submit a plan to the 285
local school district to be approved before the beginning of each 286
school year. The plan shall include, but not be limited to, how 287
all teachers, regardless of subject area, and administrators will 288
be responsible for improving student achievement for their 289
individual school. 290
(b) The State Board of Education shall develop the 291
processes and procedures for designating schools eligible to 292
participate in the MPBP. State assessment results, growth in 293
student achievement at individual schools and other measures 294
deemed appropriate in designating successful student achievement 295
shall be used in establishing MPBP criteria. 296
(5) (a) If funds are available for that purpose, each 297
school in Mississippi shall have mentor teachers, as defined by 298
Sections 37-9-201 through 37-9-213, who shall receive additional 299
base compensation provided for by the State Legislature in the 300
amount of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) per each beginning 301
teacher that is being mentored. The additional state compensation 302
shall be limited to those mentor teachers that provide mentoring 303
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services to beginning teachers. For the purposes of such funding, 304
a beginning teacher shall be defined as any teacher in any school 305
in Mississippi that has less than one (1) year of classroom 306
experience teaching in a public school. For the purposes of such 307
funding, no full-time academic teacher shall mentor more than two 308
(2) beginning teachers. 309
(b) To be eligible for this state funding, the 310
individual school must have a classroom management program 311
approved by the local school board. 312
(6) Effective with the 2014-2015 school year, the school 313
districts participating in the Pilot Performance-Based 314
Compensation System pursuant to Section 37-19-9 may award 315
additional teacher and administrator pay based thereon. 316
SECTION 2. Section 37-21-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 317
amended as follows: 318
37-21-7. (1) This section shall be referred to as the 319
"Mississippi Elementary Schools Assistant Teacher Program," the 320
purpose of which shall be to provide an early childhood education 321
program that assists in the instruction of basic skills. The 322
State Board of Education is authorized, empowered and directed to 323
implement a statewide system of assistant teachers in kindergarten 324
classes and in the first, second and third grades. The assistant 325
teacher shall assist pupils in actual instruction under the strict 326
supervision of a licensed teacher. 327
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(2) (a) Except as otherwise authorized under subsection 328
(7), each school district shall employ the total number of 329
assistant teachers funded under subsection (6) of this section. 330
The superintendent of each district shall assign the assistant 331
teachers to the kindergarten, first-, second- and third-grade 332
classes in the district in a manner that will promote the maximum 333
efficiency, as determined by the superintendent, in the 334
instruction of skills such as verbal and linguistic skills, 335
logical and mathematical skills, and social skills. 336
(b) If a licensed teacher to whom an assistant teacher 337
has been assigned is required to be absent from the classroom, the 338
assistant teacher may assume responsibility for the classroom in 339
lieu of a substitute teacher. However, no assistant teacher shall 340
assume sole responsibility of the classroom for more than three 341
(3) consecutive school days. Further, in no event shall any 342
assistant teacher be assigned to serve as a substitute teacher for 343
any teacher other than the licensed teacher to whom that assistant 344
teacher has been assigned. 345
(3) Assistant teachers shall have, at a minimum, a high 346
school diploma or a High School Equivalency Diploma equivalent, 347
and shall show demonstratable proficiency in reading and writing 348
skills. The State Department of Education shall develop a testing 349
procedure for assistant teacher applicants to be used in all 350
school districts in the state. 351
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(4) (a) In order to receive funding, each school district 352
shall: 353
(i) Submit a plan on the implementation of a 354
reading improvement program to the State Department of Education; 355
and 356
(ii) Develop a plan of educational accountability 357
and assessment of performance, including pretests and posttests, 358
for reading in Grades 1 through 6. 359
(b) Additionally, each school district shall: 360
(i) Provide annually a mandatory preservice 361
orientation session, using an existing in-school service day, for 362
administrators and teachers on the effective use of assistant 363
teachers as part of a team in the classroom setting and on the 364
role of assistant teachers, with emphasis on program goals; 365
(ii) Hold periodic workshops for administrators 366
and teachers on the effective use and supervision of assistant 367
teachers; 368
(iii) Provide training annually on specific 369
instructional skills for assistant teachers; 370
(iv) Annually evaluate their program in accordance 371
with their educational accountability and assessment of 372
performance plan; and 373
(v) Designate the necessary personnel to supervise 374
and report on their program. 375
(5) The State Department of Education shall: 376
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(a) Develop and assist in the implementation of a 377
statewide uniform training module, subject to the availability of 378
funds specifically appropriated therefor by the Legislature, which 379
shall be used in all school districts for training administrators, 380
teachers and assistant teachers. The module shall provide for the 381
consolidated training of each assistant teacher and teacher to 382
whom the assistant teacher is assigned, working together as a 383
team, and shall require further periodic training for 384
administrators, teachers and assistant teachers regarding the role 385
of assistant teachers; 386
(b) Annually evaluate the program on the district and 387
state level. Subject to the availability of funds specifically 388
appropriated therefor by the Legislature, the department shall 389
develop: (i) uniform evaluation reports, to be performed by the 390
principal or assistant principal, to collect data for the annual 391
overall program evaluation conducted by the department; or (ii) a 392
program evaluation model that, at a minimum, addresses process 393
evaluation; and 394
(c) Promulgate rules, regulations and such other 395
standards deemed necessary to effectuate the purposes of this 396
section. Noncompliance with the provisions of this section and 397
any rules, regulations or standards adopted by the department may 398
result in a violation of compulsory accreditation standards as 399
established by the State Board of Education and the Commission on 400
School Accreditation. 401
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(6) Each school district shall be allotted sufficient 402
funding under the total funding formula provided in Sections 403
37-151-200 through 37-151-215 for the purpose of employing 404
assistant teachers. * * * No school district shall pay any 405
assistant teacher less than the state minimum salary. No district 406
shall reduce the local supplement or amount paid to an individual 407
assistant teacher by the district below the state minimum salary 408
contained in this section from the previous year in a year in 409
which the state minimum salary is increased. Should any district 410
violate this subsection (6), such district's funding shall be 411
reduced by twice the amount of such reduction when computing the 412
district's allocation of total funding formula funds. However, 413
districts are authorized to reduce the state minimum salary by a 414
pro rata daily amount where there has been a reduction in (a) 415
adequate education program allocations for such district in such 416
year, or (b) the amount of federal funds to such district compared 417
to the amount received from the previous year. Nothing herein 418
contained shall prohibit any district from adopting or continuing 419
a program or plan whereby assistant teachers are paid varying 420
salaries according to classroom performance and other similar 421
standards. 422
For assistant teachers, the minimum annual salary shall be as 423
follows: 424
* * * 425
2026-2027 and Subsequent Years..................... $19,000.00 426
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In addition, for each one percent (1%) that the Sine Die 427
General Fund Revenue Estimate Growth exceeds five percent (5%) in 428
fiscal year 2006, as certified by the Legislative Budget Office to 429
the State Board of Education and subject to the specific 430
appropriation therefor by the Legislature, the State Board of 431
Education shall revise the salary scale in the appropriate year to 432
provide an additional one percent (1%) across-the-board increase 433
in the base salaries for assistant teachers. The State Board of 434
Education shall revise the salaries prescribed above for assistant 435
teachers to conform to any adjustments made in prior fiscal years 436
due to revenue growth over and above five percent (5%). The 437
assistant teachers shall not be restricted to working only in the 438
grades for which the funds were allotted, but may be assigned to 439
other classes as provided in subsection (2)(a) of this section. 440
(7) (a) As an alternative to employing assistant teachers, 441
any school district may use the funding provided under subsection 442
(6) of this section for the purpose of employing licensed teachers 443
for kindergarten, first-, second- and third-grade classes; 444
however, no school district shall be authorized to use the funding 445
for assistant teachers for the purpose of employing licensed 446
teachers unless the district has established that the employment 447
of licensed teachers using such funds will reduce the 448
teacher:student ratio in the kindergarten, first-, second- and 449
third-grade classes. All state funds for assistant teachers shall 450
be applied to reducing teacher:student ratio in Grades K-3. 451
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ST: School teachers, assistant teachers, and
college faculty; raise pay of.
It is the intent of the Legislature that no school district 452
shall dismiss any assistant teacher for the purpose of using the 453
assistant teacher funding to employ licensed teachers. School 454
districts may rely only upon normal attrition to reduce the number 455
of assistant teachers employed in that district. 456
(b) Districts meeting the highest levels of 457
accreditation standards, as defined by the State Board of 458
Education, shall be exempted from the provisions of subsection (4) 459
of this section. 460
SECTION 3. It is the intent of the Legislature that all 461
full-time professors, associate professors, assistant professors 462
and course instructors of any institution of higher learning or 463
community or junior college receive a salary increase of Two 464
Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) above their current salaries. 465
SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from 466
and after July 1, 2026. 467