Section 17:418.1 - [See Note] Salary increase; teachers and other school employeesA.(1)Each public school system shall provide a permanent salary increase of at least two thousand dollars for certificated personnel and at least one thousand dollars for non-certificated personnel, along with the associated retirement costs for the personnel, that shall be applied beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. Each public school system shall fund the increase and related retirement costs using the net savings realized by the system from the reduction in its employer contribution rate for the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year attributable to the state's payment of certain unfunded accrued liability of the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana as provided in the Act that originated as House Bill No. 7 of the 2024 Third Extraordinary Session of the Legislature.(2) If the amount of net savings realized by a school system is insufficient to fully fund the salary increases in the amounts specified in this Section, plus the associated retirement costs, the school system is not required to provide increases and associated retirement costs in excess of the net savings amount. The remaining amount necessary to fully fund such salary increases and associated retirement costs shall be provided for in the minimum foundation program formula.(3) Each public school system shall place a permanent salary increase of no less than two thousand dollars for certificated employees and no less than one thousand dollars for non-certificated employees in their salary schedule.(4) Certificated personnel shall receive the permanent salary increase provided in this Section so long as the position is based on the staffing data submitted to the official department personnel data reporting system as of October 1, as required by the Louisiana Department of Education Bulletin 1929, and the permanent salary increase shall be limited to certificated personnel who are employed in a manner indicated in the following function and object codes:(a) Teachers (all function codes 1000-2200s, object code 112).(b) Therapists/specialists/counselors (function codes 1000-2200s, object code 113).(c) School site-based principals, assistant principals, and other school administrators (function code 2400s, object code 111).(d) Central office certificated administrators (function codes 1000 through 2200, 2324, 2831, and 2832 (excluding 2130s), object code 111).(e) School nurses (function code 2134, object code 118).(f) Sabbaticals (function codes 1000-2200s, 2134, 2400s, object code 140).(5) Non-certificated personnel shall receive the permanent salary increase provided in this Section so long as the position is based on the staffing data submitted to the official department personnel data reporting system as of October 1, as required by the Louisiana Department of Education Bulletin 1929, and the permanent salary increase shall be limited to non-certificated personnel who are employed in a manner indicated in the following function and object codes: (a) Aides (function codes 1000-4900s, object code 115).(b) Support supervisors (function codes 2130s, 2300s (excluding 2311, 2321, 2324, 2831 and 2832) and 2500-4900s, object code 111).(c) Clerical/secretarial (function codes 1000-4900s, object code 114).(d) Service workers (function codes 1000-4900s, object code 116).(e) Skilled craftsmen (function codes 1000-4900s, object code 117).(f) Degreed professionals (function codes 1000-4900s, (excluding 2134s) object code 118).(g) Other personnel (function codes 1000-4900s, object codes 100, 110 and 119).(6) The permanent salary increase shall also include any employee on approved leave because of any of the following reasons: (a) An assault or battery as provided for in R.S. 17:1201 and 17:1206.1 in object code 260.(b) Approved leave due to physical contact with a student to prevent danger or risk of injury to a student under R.S. 17:1201 and RS 17:1206.1 in object code 260.(e) Maternity leave or adoptive leave.(7) The salary increases provided for in this Section shall not supplant or offset any public school system salaries or salary supplements to which personnel were entitled to prior to the enactment of this Section.(8) If the amount of net savings realized by a school system is in excess of the amount needed to fully fund the salary increases in the amounts specified in this Subsection, plus the related retirement costs, the school system shall only expend such excess savings on the following: (a) Employing personnel that qualify for differentiated compensation allocations in critical shortage areas, including grades kindergarten through twelve special education, grades six through twelve mathematics, grades six through twelve science, or other critical shortage areas as defined by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.(b) Employing personnel for a summer enrichment program, pursuant to R.S. 17:401.11, et seq.(c) Early childhood education programs that focus on enhancing the preparation of at-risk children for school.(d) School security enhancements.B. For purposes of this Section: (1) "Personnel" means persons employed in the positions for which an across-the-board pay raise was proposed in the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 minimum foundation program formula for that fiscal year and for which a stipend was provided for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 in Act No. 4 of the 2024 Regular Session of the Legislature.(2) "Public school system" means any city, parish, or other local public school board, any charter school, or any other elementary or secondary school governing authority that participates in the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana.C.(1) No later than December 31, 2025, each public school system shall certify and report, in the manner provided by the Department, that the school system has implemented the permanent salary increases, as required by Subsection A of this Section, and have expended or have contracted to expend the excess savings as required by Subsection B of this Section. (2) No later than March 1, 2026, the Department shall provide a written report detailing the compliance of each public school required in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection to the Senate Committee on Education or the House Committee on Education.(3) A public school system that does not comply with Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall require the system's superintendent to appear before a hearing of the Senate Committee on Education or the House Committee on Education, which may meet jointly, after being notified by the secretary of the Senate or the clerk of the House of Representatives that the testimony of the superintendent is required. * * *
Added by Acts 2024EX3, No. 8,s. 1, eff. .