BILL REQ. #:  H-1712.1 

Read first time 02/07/2007.   Referred to Committee on Appropriations.

     AN ACT Relating to equalization of certificated instructional staff salary allocations; amending RCW 28A.400.205; adding new sections to chapter 28A.400 RCW; creating new sections; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   FINDINGS AND INTENT. The legislature finds that promoting equity among school districts is an important principle of any school funding system. The legislature finds that the current system of salary "grandfathering" for certificated instructional staff creates inequities among school districts and places certain districts at a disadvantage in recruiting and retaining highly qualified instructional staff. Accordingly, the legislature intends to eliminate the gap between grandfathered and nongrandfathered salary districts on certificated instructional salaries over the next four years. As a result, by school year 2011-12, it is the intent of the legislature that all districts receive the same base salary allocations for certificated instructional staff.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 28A.400 RCW to read as follows:
     POLICY FOR EQUALIZATION OF K-12 SALARY ALLOCATIONS BY 2011-12 SCHOOL YEAR. (1) It is the intent of the legislature that, beginning with the appropriations for the 2011-12 school year, all state salary allocations to school districts for certificated instructional staff use the same base salary schedule. When this result is achieved, base salaries for certificated instructional staff shall be equal for all districts on a per-staff unit basis, but will continue to be adjusted by a staff mix factor.
     (2) The legislature intends to reach this goal by two means: Providing additional appropriations for the purpose of salary equalization, and by pro rata reduction of all or part of the cost-of-living increases provided pursuant to RCW 28A.400.205 to districts that receive grandfathered salary allocations for certificated instructional staff. However, any such reductions to districts' allocations for cost-of-living adjustments shall not cause a reduction in the total amount appropriated by the legislature to school districts for purposes of the cost-of-living adjustments under RCW 28A.400.205. Instead, any amounts withheld shall be appropriated to districts whose salary allocations require upward adjustment under the equalization requirements of section 3 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 28A.400 RCW to read as follows:
     TEACHER SALARY EQUALIZATION. (1)(a) By the end of the 2007-2009 biennium, the legislature shall reduce by one-half the number of districts that receive salary allocations for certificated instructional staff in excess of the statewide base salary allocation schedule established pursuant to RCW 28A.150.410, as compared to the number of districts receiving such excess allocations as reflected in the LEAP 12E schedule for the 2005-2007 biennium.
     (b) By the end of the 2009-2011 biennium, the legislature shall eliminate the practice of providing salary allocations for certificated instructional staff in excess of the statewide base salary allocation schedule established pursuant to RCW 28A.150.410, such that beginning with the 2011-12 school year, all school districts shall receive salary allocations based on the same statewide base salary allocation schedule.
     (2) The legislature shall reach the goals established in subsection (1) of this section by either or both of the following means:
     (a) Providing additional appropriations for certificated instructional staff salaries in excess of the allocations provided under chapter 28A.150 RCW;
     (b) Adjusting the cost-of-living increase allocations under RCW 28A.400.205 for certificated instructional staff in districts that have historically received salary allocations in excess of the statewide salary schedule.

Sec. 4   RCW 28A.400.205 and 2003 1st sp.s. c 20 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     REVISIONS TO INITIATIVE MEASURE NO. 732 COLA. (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.
     (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, except as provided in subsection (3) of this section. 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)(a) For districts that have historically received salary allocations for certificated instructional staff in excess of the statewide salary schedule included in the omnibus appropriations act pursuant to RCW 28A.150.410, the legislature may adjust the cost-of-living adjustment otherwise required under this section in order to meet the salary allocation equalization goals in sections 2 and 3 of this act.
     (b) The total amount appropriated by the legislature for cost-of-living adjustments under subsection (1) of this section may not be reduced by any adjustments under (a) of this subsection. Any amounts withheld from districts as a result of adjustments under (a) of this subsection shall be appropriated by the legislature to school districts for salary equalization under sections 2 and 3 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   Captions used in this act are not any part of the law.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.