SCS/SB 480 - MINIMUM TEACHER SALARIES - The current minimum salary provisions for teachers require salaries to be no less than $18,000 for any full-time teacher and no less than $24,000 for full-time teachers with a Master's degree and at least ten years of public school teaching experience. The current minimum salary provisions shall remain in effect.

The act creates a new, voluntary 5-level minimum salary program for teachers, funded by a separate appropriation, as follows:

$25,000 for 5 or less years' experience; $30,000 for Master's (or higher) + 6-10 years or Bachelor's + 6-19 years); $35,000 for Bachelors + 20 or Master's (or higher) + 11-19 years; $40,000 for Master's (or higher) + 20-29 years; $45,000 for Master's (or higher) + 30 or more years.

Eligibility requirements for state minimum salary payments under the new program established in this act:

a) Maintain an operating levy no lower than the rate for the 2000-01 school year except as required under reassessment; b) No increase in a voluntary rollback; c) No illegal transfers for capital purposes; d) Employ all teachers under board policy and salary schedule; e) Place new teachers (with experience in other districts) on salary schedule using all of the new teacher's public school teaching experience; f) Pay returning teachers no less than they were paid the previous year (on an FTE basis).

State payments to a district will be reduced if the district's extra duty pay is more than 8.5% or if end-of-year operating balances are over 15%.

State minimum salary levels will be increased by $1,000 when state cost decreases to 85% of the full funding amount of the first year's cost.

The Commissioner of Education shall report annually to the legislature on minimum salaries.

The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules to administer the program.

Expenditure of state minimum salary revenues shall not be counted toward compliance with teacher salary expenditure requirements under Section 165.016, RSMo.

State payments shall be funded from increases in gaming boat proceeds, including boarding fees, and lottery proceeds.

This portion of the act is similar to SB 748 from 2000.

TRANSFER OF SCHOOL FUNDS - The act revises existing limitations on the amount of transfers of operating funds to the capital projects fund. All capital expenditures shall be made from the capital projects fund, including classroom instructional capital expenses. The act retains existing transfer authority for "grandfathered" lease purchases, allowed transportation expenses and area vocational-technical school capital expenses. The "6 cents plus 18 cents times the Guaranteed Tax Base (GTB)" transfer is replaced by authority to transfer the greater of: 1) 8.73% of the district's line 1 entitlement for the second preceding year; or 2) one-half of the GTB (about $65,000 for the current school year), whichever is greater. This transfer can only be made for a capital projects purpose identified and approved by a school board resolution. This transfer is permitted each year for a district meeting the new minimum salary levels established in this act, regardless of whether the district participates in the program, while for any district not meeting the new minimum salary levels, the transfer can only be made for current year expenditures. The existing eligibility criteria for transfers are retained.

CAPITAL EXPENDITURES - No school district shall make any expenditure for any lease purchase, pursuant to section 177.088, RSMo, and incurred on or after January 1, 1997, from the district's capital projects fund unless the district levies local capital projects fund taxes, in the current year, no less than the amount of such expenditure. Any expenditure made in violation of this requirement shall be considered an unlawful transfer of funds under section 165.011, RSMo, and that amount shall be deducted from the school district's state aid in the following school year.

Similar provisions are included in the TAT version of HCS/SB 543.
OTTO FAJEN