2261-S AMH COX MCLA 438

SHB 2261 - H AMD TO H AMD (H-2636.1/09) 427

By Representative Cox

NOT ADOPTED 3/12/2009

On page 30, after line 20 of the striking amendment, insert the following:

    "Sec. 205.  RCW 28A.400.205 and 2003 1st sp.s. c 20 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) School district employees shall be provided an annual salary cost-of-living increase in accordance with this section.

    (a) The cost-of-living increase shall be calculated by applying the rate of the yearly increase in the cost-of-living index to any state-funded salary base used in state funding formulas for teachers and other school district employees.  Beginning with the 2001-02 school year, and for each subsequent school year, except for the 2003-04 and 2004-05 school years, each school district shall be provided a cost-of-living allocation sufficient to grant this cost-of-living increase, except as provided in subsection (3) of this section.

    (b) A school district shall distribute its cost-of-living allocation for salaries and salary-related benefits in accordance with the district's salary schedules, collective bargaining agreements, and compensation policies.  No later than the end of the school year, each school district shall certify to the superintendent of public instruction that it has spent funds provided for cost-of-living increases on salaries and salary-related benefits.

    (c) Any funded cost-of-living increase shall be included in the salary base used to determine cost-of-living increases for school employees in subsequent years.  For teachers and other certificated instructional staff, the rate of the annual cost-of-living increase funded for certificated instructional staff shall be applied to the base salary used with the statewide salary allocation schedule established under RCW 28A.150.410 and to any other salary models used to recognize school district personnel costs.

    (2) For the purposes of this section, "cost-of-living index" means, for any school year, the previous calendar year's annual average consumer price index, using the official current base, compiled by the bureau of labor statistics, United States department of labor for the state of Washington.  If the bureau of labor statistics develops more than one consumer price index for areas within the state, the index covering the greatest number of people, covering areas exclusively within the boundaries of the state, and including all items shall be used for the cost-of-living index in this section.

(3) For school districts that have historically received teacher salary allocations in excess of the statewide salary schedule under RCW 28A.150.410 or whose salary allocations for certificated administrative or classified staff authorized in the omnibus appropriations act exceed the salary allocations provided to other school districts, the legislature shall provide a cost-of-living increase under this section at fifty percent of the amount that would otherwise be calculated under this section for those salary allocations that are in excess, until salary allocations have been equalized across all districts."

EFFECT:  Provides that school districts with salary allocations for Certificated Instructional Staff that exceed the statewide salary schedule or whose allocations for administrative and classified staff exceed the allocations for other districts, receive a cost-of-living increase under Initiative 732 at 50 percent of the amount that would otherwise be calculated, until allocations have been equalized across all districts.

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