SB 934 - This act revises minimum teacher salaries and creates funding for the new minimum amounts. 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 from the Minimum Teacher's Salary Fund, as follows:

$26,500 for 5 or less years' experience; $31,500 for Master's (or higher) + 6-10 years or Bachelor's + 6-19 years); $36,500 for Bachelors + 20 or Master's (or higher) + 11-19 years; $41,500 for Master's (or higher) + 20-29 years; $46,500 for Master's (or higher) + 30 or more years.

Eligibility requirements for state minimum salary payments under the new program are established as follows:

(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 the Minimum Teacher's Salary Fund which is created. The fund will consist in moneys transferred from a $1 increase in gaming boat boarding fees.

This act is similar to SB 480 (2001) and SB 748 (2000).
CINDY KADLEC