Brief Summary of Bill

Declares legislative intent to increase teacher salaries and provide support for beginning teachers with robust mentoring.
Increases state allocations for Certificated Instructional Staff by increasing beginning teacher salary allocations to $40,000 and by increasing state allocations for teachers of all other experience levels by at least 1 percent.
Increases state allocations for Certificated Administrative Staff and Classified Staff by 1 percent.
Makes appropriations to the Superintendent of Public Instruction for: the salary allocation increases; local effort assistance; and the Beginning Educator Support Team program.
Makes appropriations to the Washington State School for the Blind and the Center for Childhood Deafness and Hearing Loss for the increased state salary allocations.

Background:

Basic Education Funding Formulas.

Under the prototypical school formula established in Chapter 548, 2009 Laws (ESHB 2261) and Chapter 236, 2010 Laws (SHB 2776), the state allocates funding to the state's 295 school districts for implementation of the state's program of basic education. The prototypical model applies ratios of discrete staff categories to an assumed class size for each grade within each school type and scales funding for each school district's actual enrollment.

School District Employee Compensation.

State Allocations. Funding to support salaries for the classified and administrative staff allocated through the prototypical school funding formula is specified in the Omnibus Operating Appropriations Act. Funding for certificated instructional staff (CIS) is allocated based on a "grid" which provides salary values that increase based on educational credit and years of experience. Each district's CIS allocation is based on its "staff mix", that is, the distribution on the state salary grid of the CIS hired by the district. In addition, the state allocates a salary rate for classified staff and a salary rate for administrative staff in each district. (Some districts are "grandfathered" at a higher salary allocation for one or more of the staff types.)

State Restrictions on CIS Salaries. In general, state salary funding is for allocation purposes only, and school districts are not required to hire staff according to the prototypical school staffing formula, nor are they required to pay CIS salaries according to the state CIS salary grid. Instead, actual CIS salaries are determined by each district's collective bargaining agreements. However, the state places some restrictions on actual salaries districts may pay. First, a district may not pay CSI less than the lowest salary on the state grid for a bachelor's or master's degree and zero years of experience. Second, a district's actual average CIS salary may not exceed the district's actual average salary that is allocated under the state formula. Third, CIS salaries in the basic education program must be consistent with CIS salaries in other programs. Finally, CIS salaries may exceed these limits only by separate contract for additional time, responsibility, or incentive (TRI). Under the TRI restrictions, supplemental contracts may not be used to pay for services that are part of the state's program of basic education.

Beginning Educator Support Program.

The educator support program (also referred to as BEST) began as a pilot program and then was established in 2013 to provide professional development and mentor support for beginning educators and educators on probation. A beginning educator support team includes: a paid orientation or individualized assistance before the start of the school year; assignment of a qualified mentor; development of a professional growth plan; release time for mentors and new teachers to work together; and teacher observation time with accomplished peers.

Schools for the Blind, Deaf, and Sensory Handicapped.

The Washington State School for the Blind (WSSB) and the Center for Childhood Deafness and Hearing Loss (CDHL) were established to educate and train hearing and visually impaired children. Salaries for teachers employed by the WSSB and CDHL must conform to and be contemporary with salaries paid to other certificated employees of similar background and experience in the school district in which the program or facility is located.

Local Effort Assistance.

Under the state's program of local effort assistance (LEA), also known as levy equalization, the state provides additional funding to school districts that are at a relative disadvantage in raising M&O levies due to relatively low property values. Local effort assistance is not part of the basic education program. Currently, 215 districts are eligible to receive LEA, of which 205 districts are receiving the assistance.

Summary of Bill:

Salary allocations for state-funded certificated instructional staff are increased by at least 1 percent, with the largest percentage increase being applied to allocations for beginning teachers with a bachelor's degree. The salary allocation for the beginning teacher is set at $40,000. State salary allocations for state-funded certificated administrative and classified staff are increased by 1 percent.

Appropriations totaling $84,603,000 are made for the Superintendent of Public Instruction for: the increased salary allocations; the estimated increased cost of the local effort assistance program that results from the increased state salary allocations; and additional funding for the beginning educator support program.

Appropriations of $44,000 and $23,000 are made to the Washington State School for the Blind and the Center for Childhood Deafness and Hearing Loss, for the agencies' increased salary costs.