HB1257 - Relating to the compensation of public school educators, the public school finance system, public school prekindergarten and kindergarten programs, and the school health and related services program.

  89R2555 TSS-F     By: Bryant H.B. No. 1257       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the compensation of public school educators, the public   school finance system, public school prekindergarten and   kindergarten programs, and the school health and related services   program.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:   ARTICLE 1. COMPENSATION OF PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATORS          SECTION 1.01.  Section 21.402, Education Code, is amended by   amending Subsections (a) and (g) and adding Subsections (a-1) and   (i) to read as follows:          (a)   A  [ Except as provided by Subsection (e-1) or (f), a ]   school district must pay each employee who is employed as a   classroom teacher, full-time librarian, full-time school counselor   certified under Subchapter B, or full-time school nurse not less   than the highest annual minimum [ minimum monthly ] salary described   by the following schedule applicable to  [ , based on ] the employee's   certification, if any, and years [ level ] of experience :                 (1)     for an employee with less than five years of   experience who holds:                       (A)  no certification  $40,000;                       (B)     a teacher intern, teacher trainee, or   probationary certificate issued under Subchapter B   $42,000;                       (C)     the base certificate required under Section   21.003(a) for employment in the employee's position other than a   certificate described by Paragraph (B)   $45,000; or                       (D)     a designation under Section 21.3521 .   .   $48,000;                 (2)     for an employee with at least five years of   experience who holds:                       (A)  no certification  $50,000;                       (B)     a teacher intern, teacher trainee, or   probationary certificate issued under Subchapter B   $52,000;                       (C)     the base certificate required under Section   21.003(a) for employment in the employee's position other than a   certificate described by Paragraph (B)   $55,000; or                       (D)     a designation under Section 21.3521   .   .   .   $58,000;                 (3)     for an employee with at least 10 years of   experience who holds:                       (A)  no certification  $60,000;                       (B)     a teacher intern, teacher trainee, or   probationary certificate issued under Subchapter B   $62,000;                       (C)     the base certificate required under Section   21.003(a) for employment in the employee's   position   .   .   . .   $65,000; or                       (D)     a designation under Section 21.3521   .   .   .   $68,000; or                 (4)     for an employee with at least 15 years of   experience, an additional five percent of the applicable amount   described by Subdivision (3) for every five years of experience   over 10 years  [ in   addition to other factors, as determined by   commissioner rule, determined by the following formula:   [ MS = SF x FS   [ where:          [ "MS" is the minimum monthly salary;          [ "SF" is the applicable salary factor specified by Subsection   (c); and          [ "FS" is the amount, as determined by the commissioner under   Subsection (b), of the basic allotment as provided by Section   48.051(a) or (b) for a school district with a maintenance and   operations tax rate at least equal to the state maximum compressed   tax rate, as defined by Section 48.051(a) ].           (a-1)     For purposes of Subsection (a), a full-time school   nurse is considered to hold the base certificate required under   Section 21.003(a) for employment as a school nurse, regardless of   the other certifications held by the nurse.          (g)  The commissioner may adopt rules to govern the   application of this section, including rules that:                (1)  require the payment of a minimum salary under this   section to a person employed in more than one capacity for which a   minimum salary is provided and whose combined employment in those   capacities constitutes full-time employment; and                (2)  specify the credentials a person must hold to be   considered a [ speech pathologist or ] school nurse under this   section.           (i)     A school district must use at least 50 percent of the   difference between what the district would have paid under Section   825.405, Government Code, based on the salaries paid under this   section as it existed on September 1, 2024, and what the district   pays under Section 825.405, Government Code, based on the salaries   paid under this section as it exists after September 1, 2025, to   increase the average total compensation per district employee   employed as a classroom teacher, full-time librarian, full-time   school counselor certified under Subchapter B, or full-time school   nurse. In calculating average total compensation per district   employee under this subsection, a district may not include   compensation paid to a classroom teacher, full-time librarian,   full-time school counselor certified under Subchapter B, or   full-time school nurse in a position added by the school district   for the current school year that increases the ratio of those   employees to enrolled students over the ratio of those employees to   enrolled students for the preceding year.   This subsection expires   September 1, 2027.          SECTION 1.02.  The heading to Section 21.403, Education   Code, is amended to read as follows:          Sec. 21.403.   DETERMINATION OF YEARS OF EXPERIENCE   [ PLACEMENT ON MINIMUM SALARY SCHEDULE ].          SECTION 1.03.  Sections 21.403(b) and (c), Education Code,   are amended to read as follows:          (b)  For each year of work experience required for   certification in a career or technological field, up to a maximum of   two years, a certified career or technology education teacher is   entitled to [ salary step ] credit as if the work experience were   teaching experience.          (c)  The commissioner shall adopt rules for determining the   experience for which a teacher, librarian, school counselor, or   nurse is to be given credit for purposes of the minimum salary   schedule under Section 21.402(a) [ in placing the teacher,   librarian, school counselor, or nurse on the minimum salary   schedule ].  A district shall credit the teacher, librarian, school   counselor, or nurse for each year of experience without regard to   whether the years are consecutive.          SECTION 1.04.  Section 21.4552(d), Education Code, is   amended to read as follows:          (d)  From funds appropriated for that purpose, a teacher who   attends a literacy achievement academy is entitled to receive a   stipend in the amount determined by the commissioner.  A stipend   received under this subsection is not considered in determining   whether a school district is paying the teacher the minimum   [ monthly ] salary under Section 21.402.          SECTION 1.05.  Section 21.4553(d), Education Code, is   amended to read as follows:          (d)  From funds appropriated for that purpose, a teacher who   attends a mathematics achievement academy is entitled to receive a   stipend in the amount determined by the commissioner.  A stipend   received under this subsection is not considered in determining   whether a district is paying the teacher the minimum [ monthly ]   salary under Section 21.402.          SECTION 1.06.  Section 21.4555(f), Education Code, is   amended to read as follows:          (f)  From funds available for that purpose, a teacher who   attends a civics training program may receive a stipend in an amount   determined by the commissioner.  A stipend received under this   section is not included in determining whether a district is paying   the teacher the minimum [ monthly ] salary under Section 21.402.          SECTION 1.07.  Section 30.102(b), Education Code, is amended   to read as follows:          (b)  A classroom teacher, full-time librarian, full-time   school counselor certified under Subchapter B, Chapter 21, or   full-time school nurse employed by the department is entitled to   receive as a minimum salary the [ monthly ] salary specified by   Section 21.402. A classroom teacher, full-time librarian,   full-time school counselor, or full-time school nurse may be paid,   from funds appropriated to the department, a salary in excess of the   minimum specified by that section, but the salary may not exceed the   rate of pay for a similar position in the public schools of an   adjacent school district.          SECTION 1.08.  Section 33.009(h), Education Code, is amended   to read as follows:          (h)  From funds appropriated for that purpose, a school   counselor who attends the academy under this section is entitled to   receive a stipend in the amount determined by the coordinating   board. If funds are available after all eligible school counselors   have received a stipend under this subsection, the coordinating   board shall pay a stipend in the amount determined by the   coordinating board to a teacher who attends the academy under this   section. A stipend received under this subsection is not   considered in determining whether a district is paying the school   counselor or teacher the minimum [ monthly ] salary under Section   21.402.          SECTION 1.09.  Subchapter F, Chapter 48, Education Code, is   amended by adding Section 48.280 to read as follows:           Sec.   48.280.     SALARY TRANSITION ALLOTMENT. (a) In the   2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years, a school district is entitled   to receive an annual salary transition allotment equal to the   difference, if that amount is greater than zero, between:                 (1)  the amount calculated under Subsection (b); and                   (2)  the amount calculated under Subsection (c).           (b)     The agency shall calculate a school district's value for   Subsection (a)(1) by determining the difference in the amount the   district must pay in compensation to employees on the minimum   salary schedule under Section 21.402, as amended by H.B.   ____, 89th   Legislature, Regular Session, 2025, from the amount paid in   compensation to employees on the minimum salary schedule under that   section as effective in the 2024-2025 school year, less the   difference between:                 (1)     the amount of employer contributions under Section   825.4035, Government Code, and Section 1575.203, Insurance Code,   the district paid in the 2024-2025 school year for employees on the   minimum salary schedule under Section 21.402; and               &#xA [Text truncated for display. 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