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7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill removes variability in the amount of the educator salary adjustment.
10 Highlighted Provisions:
11 This bill:
12 ▸ removes variability in the amount of the educator salary adjustment; and
13 ▸ makes technical changes.
14 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
15 None
16 Other Special Clauses:
17 None
18 Utah Code Sections Affected:
19 AMENDS:
20 53F-2-405, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapters 1, 373
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22 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
23 Section 1. Section 53F-2-405 is amended to read:
24 53F-2-405. Educator salary adjustments.
25 (1) As used in this section, "educator" means a person employed by a school district,
26 charter school, or the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind who holds:
27 (a) (i) a license issued by the state board; and
28 (ii) a position as a:
29 (A) classroom teacher;
30 (B) speech pathologist;
31 (C) librarian or media specialist;
32 (D) preschool teacher;
33 (E) mentor teacher;
34 (F) teacher specialist or teacher leader;
35 (G) guidance counselor;
36 (H) audiologist;
37 (I) psychologist; or
38 (J) social worker; or
39 (b) (i) a license issued by the Division of Professional Licensing; and
40 (ii) a position as a social worker.
41 (2) In recognition of the need to attract and retain highly skilled and dedicated
42 educators, the Legislature shall annually appropriate money for educator salary adjustments,
43 subject to future budget constraints.
44 (3) (a) The state board shall distribute to each school district, each charter school, and
45 the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind money that the Legislature appropriates for
46 educator salary adjustments based on the number of educator positions described in Subsection
47 (4) in the school district, the charter school, or the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.
48 (b) Notwithstanding Subsections (3)(a), if appropriations are insufficient to provide the
49 full amount of educator salary adjustments described in this section, the state board shall
50 distribute money appropriated for educator salary adjustments to school districts, charter
51 schools, and the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind in proportion to the number of
52 full-time-equivalent educator positions in a school district, a charter school, or the Utah
53 Schools for the Deaf and the Blind as compared to the total number of full-time-equivalent
54 educator positions in school districts, charter schools, and the Utah Schools for the Deaf and
55 the Blind.
56 (4) A school district, a charter school, or the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind
57 shall award bonuses to educators as follows:
58 (a) the amount of the salary adjustment for each full-time-equivalent educator is[
59 $8,400;
60 [
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62 [
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64 (b) an individual who is not a full-time educator shall receive a partial salary
65 adjustment based on the number of hours the individual works as an educator;
66 (c) a salary adjustment may not be awarded if an educator has received an
67 unsatisfactory rating on the educator's three most recent evaluations; and
68 (d) for a fiscal year beginning on or after July 1, 2024, the amount of the salary
69 adjustment is equal to:
70 (i) the amount of salary adjustment in the preceding fiscal year; and
71 (ii) a percentage increase that is equal to the percentage increase in the value of the
72 WPU in the preceding fiscal year.
73 (5) In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the
74 state board:
75 (a) shall make rules to ensure that the LEAs do not reduce or artificially limit a
76 teacher's salary to convert the salary supplement in this section into a windfall to the LEA; and
77 (b) may make rules as necessary to administer this section.
78 (6) (a) Subject to future budget constraints, the Legislature shall appropriate sufficient
79 money each year to:
80 (i) maintain educator salary adjustments provided in prior years; and
81 (ii) provide educator salary adjustments to new employees.
82 (b) Money appropriated for educator salary adjustments shall include money for the
83 following employer-paid benefits:
84 (i) retirement;
85 (ii) worker's compensation;
86 (iii) social security; and
87 (iv) Medicare.
88 (7) (a) Subject to future budget constraints, the Legislature shall:
89 (i) maintain the salary adjustments provided to school administrators in the 2007-08
90 school year; and
91 (ii) provide salary adjustments for new school administrators in the same amount as
92 provided for existing school administrators.
93 (b) The appropriation provided for educator salary adjustments described in this
94 section shall include salary adjustments for school administrators as specified in Subsection
95 (7)(a).
96 (c) In distributing and awarding salary adjustments for school administrators, the state
97 board, a school district, a charter school, or the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind shall
98 comply with the requirements for the distribution and award of educator salary adjustments as
99 provided in Subsections (3) and (4).
100 Section 2. Effective date.
101 This bill takes effect on May 1, 2024.