H.B. 382

1

AMENDMENTS TO EDUCATION FUNDING
2 2007 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Chief Sponsor: Brad L. Dee
5 Senate Sponsor: Dan R. Eastman
6
7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill provides salary increases for educators.
10 Highlighted Provisions:
11 This bill:
12 . directs the Legislature, subject to future budget constraints, to appropriate money
13 for educator salary adjustments;
14 . defines "educator";
15 . directs the State Board of Education to establish the amount of the salary adjustment
16 based on the amount of money appropriated, number of educators, and employer
17 paid benefits costs related to the salary adjustment;
18 . provides that the salary adjustment shall be the same for each full-time-equivalent
19 educator position;
20 . provides that only educators who have had a satisfactory or better evaluation are
21 eligible for salary adjustments;
22 . authorizes the State Board of Education to make rules as necessary to administer the
23 salary adjustment; and
24 . modifies provisions relating to the adjustment of salaries for nonadministrated
25 licensed staff of the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.
26 Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
27 This bill appropriates:

28 . as an ongoing appropriation, $68,989,335 from the Uniform School Fund for fiscal
29 year 2007-08; and
30 . for fiscal year 2007-08 only, $34,494,667 from the Uniform School Fund.
31 Other Special Clauses:
32 This bill takes effect on July 1, 2007.
33 Utah Code Sections Affected:
34 AMENDS:
35 53A-25-111, as last amended by Chapter 308, Laws of Utah 2006
36 ENACTS:
37 53A-17a-153, Utah Code Annotated 1953
38
39 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
40 Section 1. Section 53A-17a-153 is enacted to read:
41 53A-17a-153. Educator salary adjustments.
42 (1) As used in this section, "educator" means a person employed by a school district,
43 charter school, or the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind who holds:
44 (a) a license issued under Title 53A, Chapter 6, Educator Licensing and Professional
45 Practices Act; and
46 (b) a position as a:
47 (i) classroom teacher;
48 (ii) speech pathologist;
49 (iii) librarian or media specialist;
50 (iv) preschool teacher;
51 (v) school administrator;
52 (vi) mentor teacher; or
53 (vii) teacher specialist or teacher leader.
54 (2) In recognition of the need to attract and retain highly skilled and dedicated
55 educators, the Legislature shall annually appropriate money for educator salary adjustments,
56 subject to future budget constraints.
57 (3) Money appropriated to the State Board of Education for educator salary
58 adjustments shall be distributed to school districts, charter schools, and the Utah Schools for

59 the Deaf and the Blind in proportion to the number of full-time-equivalent educator positions
60 in a school district, a charter school, or the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind as
61 compared to the total number of full-time-equivalent educator positions in school districts,
62 charter schools, and the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.
63 (4) (a) The State Board of Education shall establish the amount of the salary
64 adjustment based on the amount of the appropriation, the number of full-time-equivalent
65 educator positions, and employer paid benefits costs related to the salary adjustment.
66 (b) The amount of the salary adjustment shall be the same for each full-time-equivalent
67 educator position.
68 (c) A person who is not a full-time educator shall receive a partial salary adjustment
69 based on the number of hours the person works as an educator.
70 (5) Salary adjustments may be awarded only to educators who have received a
71 satisfactory rating or above on their most recent evaluation.
72 (6) The State Board of Education may make rules as necessary to administer this
73 section, in accordance with Title 63, Chapter 46a, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act.
74 (7) Subject to future budget constraints, the Legislature shall appropriate sufficient
75 monies each year to:
76 (a) maintain educator salary adjustments provided in prior years; and
77 (b) provide educator salary adjustments to new employees.
78 Section 2. Section 53A-25-111 is amended to read:
79 53A-25-111. Annual salary adjustments for school employees -- Benefits.
80 (1) (a) The board shall adjust the salary schedule applicable to nonadministrative
81 licensed staff at the school each school year.
82 (b) (i) The board shall make the adjustment equal to a weighted average adjustment for
83 nonadministrative licensed staff adopted by the public school districts of the state as
84 determined by the State Office of Education. This average shall be weighted by the number of
85 teachers in each district.
86 (ii) Educator salary adjustments provided pursuant to Section 53A-17a-153 may not be
87 included in school district salaries for the purpose of calculating the weighted average
88 adjustment for nonadministrative licensed staff adopted by school districts.
89 (c) The board shall increase this weighted average by 10% in any year in which the

90 Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind teachers are not ranked in the top ten in 20 year
91 earnings when compared to the 40 school districts of the state.
92 (2) (a) The adjustment shall be computed using adjustments made by the school
93 districts by December 1 of each year.
94 (b) The board shall apply the adjustment to the salary schedule effective July 1 of the
95 following year.
96 (3) The board shall make salary adjustments for administrative and nonlicensed staff at
97 the school on the basis of adjustments approved for state government employees in similar
98 positions.
99 (4) Administrative, licensed, and nonlicensed staff at the school shall receive the same
100 benefits as those provided to state government employees.
101 (5) The State Board of Education shall include in its annual budget request for the Utah
102 Schools for the Deaf and the Blind an amount of money sufficient to implement the salary
103 adjustments required by Subsections (2) and (3), including money to fund step and lane
104 changes.
105 Section 3. Ongoing appropriation for educator salary adjustments.
106 As an ongoing appropriation subject to future budget constraints, there is appropriated
107 from the Uniform School Fund for fiscal year 2007-08, $68,989,335 to the State Board of
108 Education for educator salary adjustments as provided in Section 53A-17a-153 .
109 Section 4. One-time appropriation for educator bonuses.
110 (1) There is appropriated from the Uniform School Fund for fiscal year 2007-08 only,
111 $34,494,667 to the State Board of Education for educator bonuses.
112 (2) Money appropriated in Subsection (1) shall be distributed by the State Board of
113 Education and awarded to educators in the same manner as money appropriated for educator
114 salary adjustments pursuant to Section 53A-17a-153 .
115 Section 5. Effective date.
116 This bill takes effect on July 1, 2007.

Legislative Review Note
as of 2-14-07 11:10 AM

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel