Teacher recruiting assistance.

WORKING DRAFT
2005
STATE OF WYOMING
05LSO-0620

HOUSE BILL
NO.
HB0278

Teacher recruiting assistance.

Sponsored by:
Representative(s) Semlek and Senator(s) Schiffer

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to school districts; providing assistance to districts to adjust teacher compensation to enhance teacher recruiting efforts; delegating duties to the department of education; imposing reporting requirements; providing an appropriation; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

(a)

Additional funding is provided to school districts under this section for purposes of assisting districts with the recruitment of teachers in special education, math and science, as well as multiple endorsement requirements of small, rural schools. The legislature recognizes that the additional funding made available under this section is in excess of the cost-based levels for compensation established by the educational resource block grant model under W.S. 21
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309 and is not intended to impose any condition upon or requirement for model reevaluation pursuant to W.S. 21
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309(t).

(b)

A school district may apply to the department of education for state reimbursement assistance to supplement district operating funds dedicated to teacher compensation upon a form and in a manner prescribed by the department. The department shall pay reimbursement assistance from amounts appropriated by the legislature for this purpose under section 2 of this act and shall base grant eligibility for reimbursement assistance on the following criteria documented by the applicant district and certified in writing by the chairman of the district board of trustees:

(i)

Recruitment of teachers certified in math, science and special education instruction;

(ii)

Recruitment of teachers with endorsements in multiple subject areas;

(iii)

Unique recruitment problems faced by small, rural and isolated schools within districts.

(c)

Amounts received by school districts pursuant to this section shall be expended only for enhancing teacher compensation as a component of district recruiting efforts targeting teachers certified in subject areas or representing qualifications specified under subsection (b) of this section and shall not be expended to enhance compensation in a manner which would escalate in-state district competition for teachers. The department shall establish a process enabling distribution of amounts under this section in sufficient time to benefit district efforts to recruit teachers for the 2005-2006 school year. Amounts received under this section shall be applied to recruitment of teachers for the 2005-2006 school year and any compensation adjustment paid under this section shall not be included in the special education adjustment to the education resource block grant model under W.S. 21
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321 for corresponding compensation adjustments paid during school year 2005-2006 and reported for reimbursement in the subsequent school year. On or before September 1, 2005, school districts shall report actual or budgeted expenditures of assistance distributed under this section to the department of education in a form and manner specified by the department, clearly specifying salary levels adjusted under this section and impacts of adjustments on teacher recruiting efforts for school year 2005-2006. Upon receipt, the department shall immediately compile district reports and submit the compilation to members of the management council, joint education interim committee and the joint appropriations interim committee.

(d)

As soon as reasonably possible following the effective date of this act, the department of education shall notify school districts of the availability of reimbursement assistance under this section and of the requirements imposed upon districts to obtain assistance.

Section 2.

For the period commencing April 15, 2005, and ending June 30, 2006, four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000.00) is appropriated from amounts within the school foundation program account to the department of education for purposes of section 1 of this act.

Section 3.

This act is effective immediately upon co
m
pletion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constit
u
tion.

(END)

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HB0278