Prefiled 01/04/24.Read first time 01/08/24.Referred to Committee on Education.

AN ACT Relating to a comparable wage analysis of public school staff compensation; adding a new section to chapter 50.38 RCW; and creating a new section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature recognizes that a regular review process of public school staff compensation and regionalization factors is necessary to maintain statewide salary allocations necessary to hire and retain qualified staff for the state's statutory program of basic education.

For such a review, it is important to compare school district wages for employees with other occupations in the labor market that have similar demographics and skill requirements. Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature to conduct a comparable wage analysis to inform a review of school district compensation and regionalization factors adopted in the 2023 legislative session.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 50.38 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The department must conduct or select one or more contractors for a comparative labor market analysis of salaries and other compensation for public school employees. The analysis required under this section must include:

(a) An identification of occupations and job types that are comparable to public school employees' job categories included in state prototypical school formulas based on demographic characteristics, education and experience requirements, similar roles in the private sector, required knowledge and skills, and other relevant characteristics;

(b) An identification of labor markets within the state of Washington using data and classifications compiled by the United States bureau of labor statistics and the United States census bureau;

(c) A comparable wage analysis, including consideration of a hedonic wage model, that compares public school employees' average salary allocations, average base salaries, average total salaries, and average total compensation by local education agency to comparable occupations and job types in their labor markets;

(d) The implications of the comparable wage analysis for groups based on racial, ethnic, and economic status of students and staff; and

(e) Any recommendations for updates to regionalization and experience factors based on results of the comparable wage analysis.

(2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction must collaborate with and make relevant data available to the department for the analysis under this section.

(3) For the purposes of this section, "local education agency" means school districts, charter schools established under chapter 28A.710 RCW, and state-tribal compact schools established under chapter 28A.715 RCW.

(4) The employment security department must report the analysis of results and data to the education and fiscal committees of the legislature and the office of financial management by September 30, 2024.