MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1999 Regular Session

To: Education; Appropriations

By: Representative Frierson

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-19-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS AND ENTITIES TO PAY THE PROCESS COST FOR TEACHERS APPLYING FOR CERTIFICATION BY THE NATIONAL BOARD FOR PROFESSIONAL TEACHING STANDARDS AND TO BE REIMBURSED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOR SUCH COST REGARDLESS OF THE SUCCESS OF THE APPLICANT AND TO INCREASE TEACHERS' SALARIES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 37-19-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

37-19-7. (1) The allowance in the minimum education program for teachers' salaries in each county and separate school district shall be determined and paid in accordance with the scale for teachers' salaries as provided in this subsection for the number of teachers employed not in excess of the number of teacher units allotted. For teachers holding the following types of licenses or the equivalent as determined by the State Board of Education, and the following number of years of teaching experience, the scale shall be as follows:

1999-2000 School Year

AAAA $25,480.00

AAA 24,630.00

AA 23,780.00

A 22,730.00

AAAA $26,480.00

AAA 25,630.00

AA 24,780.00

A 23,730.00

It is the intent of the Legislature that any state funds made available for salaries of licensed personnel in excess of the funds paid for such salaries for the 1986-1987 school year shall be paid to licensed personnel pursuant to a personnel appraisal and compensation system implemented by the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall have the authority to adopt and amend rules and regulations as are necessary to establish, administer and maintain the system.

All teachers employed on a full-time basis shall be paid a minimum salary in accordance with the above scale. However, no school district shall receive any funds under this section for any school year during which the local supplement paid to any individual teacher shall have been reduced to a sum less than that paid to that individual teacher for performing the same duties from local supplement during the immediately preceding school year. The amount actually spent for the purposes of group health and/or life insurance shall be considered as a part of the aggregate amount of local supplement but shall not be considered a part of the amount of individual local supplement.

For teachers holding a Class AAAA license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased by the sum of Six Hundred Fifty-five Dollars ($655.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have twenty-five (25) years of teaching experience.

For teachers holding a Class AAA license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased by the sum of Five Hundred Ninety Dollars ($590.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have twenty-five (25) years of teaching experience.

For teachers holding a Class AA license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased by the sum of Five Hundred Twenty Dollars ($520.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have twenty-five (25) years of teaching experience.

For teachers holding a Class A license, the minimum base pay specified in this subsection shall be increased by the sum of Four Hundred Twenty-five Dollars ($425.00) for each year of teaching experience possessed by the person holding such license until such person shall have twenty-one (21) years of teaching experience.

The level of professional training of each teacher to be used in establishing the salary allotment for the teachers for each year shall be determined by the type of valid teacher's license issued to those teachers on or before October 1 of the current school year.

(2) (a) Prior to April 15 of any school year in which a teacher meets the standard requirements, any licensed teacher who shall have met the requirements and acquired a Master Teacher certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and who is employed by a local school board or the State Board of Education as a teacher and not as an administrator shall receive a salary supplement in the amount of Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000.00) in addition to any other compensation to which the teacher may be entitled. The teacher shall be reimbursed one (1) time for the actual cost of completing the process of acquiring the Master Teacher certificate, regardless of whether or not the process resulted in the award of the Master Teacher certificate.  However, a local school district or any private individual or entity may pay the cost of completing the process of acquiring the Master Teacher certificate for any teacher employed in the district, and the local school district shall be reimbursed such cost by the State Department of Education, regardless of whether or not the process resulted in the award of the Master Teacher certificate. If a private individual or entity has paid the cost of completing the process of acquiring the Master Teacher certificate for a teacher, the local school district may agree to directly reimburse the individual or entity for such cost on behalf of the teacher. All such salary supplements and process reimbursement shall be paid directly by the State Department of Education to the local school district and shall be in addition to its minimum education program allotments and not a part thereof in accordance with regulations promulgated by the State Board of Education, and subject to appropriation by the Legislature. Local school districts shall not reduce the local supplement paid to any teacher receiving such salary supplement, and the teacher shall receive any local supplement to which teachers with similar training and experience are otherwise entitled.

(b) The State Department of Education may not pay any process reimbursement to a school district for a teacher who does not complete the certification process required to be eligible for a Master Teacher certificate. If a teacher for whom such cost has been paid in full or in part by a local school district or private individual or entity fails to complete the certification process, the teacher shall be liable to the school district or individual or entity for all amounts paid by the school district or individual or entity on behalf of that teacher toward his or her certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 1999.