Senate Bill No. 276

(By Senators Cann and Beach)

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[Introduced January 8, 2014; referred to the Committee on Education; and then to the Finance.]

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A BILL to amend and reenact §18A-4-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to providing salary increases for mathematics and science teachers in grades seven though twelve; providing a salary increase for reading specialists; and requiring those individuals to hold full state certification to teach those subjects.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    That §18A-4-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

ARTICLE 4. SALARIES, WAGES AND OTHER BENEFITS.

§18A-4-2. State minimum salaries for teachers.

    (a) Beginning July 1, 2011, and continuing thereafter, each teacher shall receive the amount prescribed in the state Minimum Salary Schedule as set forth in this section, specific additional amounts prescribed in this section or article and any county supplement in effect in a county pursuant to section five-a of this article during the contract year.

    (b) Six Hundred dollars shall be paid annually to each classroom teacher who has at least twenty years of teaching experience. The payments: (I) Shall be in addition to any amounts prescribed in the applicable state minimum salary schedule; (ii) shall be paid in equal monthly installments; and (iii) shall be considered a part of the state minimum salaries for teachers.

    (c) To meet the objective of salary equity among the counties as set forth in section five of this article, each teacher shall be paid an equity supplement amount as applicable for his or her classification of certification or classification of training and years of experience as follows, subject to the provisions of that section:

    (1) For “4th Class” at zero years of experience, $1,781. An additional $38 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including thirty-five years of experience;

    (2) For “3rd Class” at zero years of experience, $1,796. An additional $67 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including thirty-five years of experience;

    (3) For “2nd Class” at zero years of experience, $1,877. An additional $69 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including thirty-five years of experience;

    (4) For “A. B.” at zero years of experience, $2,360. An additional $69 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including thirty-five years of experience;

    (5) For “A. B. + 15” at zero years of experience, $2,452. An additional $69 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including thirty-five years of experience;

    (6) For “M. A.” at zero years of experience, $2,644. An additional $69 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including thirty-five years of experience;

    (7) For “M. A. + 15” at zero years of experience, $2,740. An additional $69 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including thirty-five years of experience;

    (8) For “M. A. + 30” at zero years of experience, $2,836. An additional $69 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including thirty-five years of experience;

    (9) For “M. A. + 45” at zero years of experience, $2,836. An additional $69 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including thirty-five years of experience; and

    (10) For “Doctorate” at zero years of experience, $2,927. An additional $69 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including thirty-five years of experience.

    These payments: (I) Shall be in addition to any amounts prescribed in the applicable State Minimum Salary Schedule, any specific additional amounts prescribed in this section and article and any county supplement in effect in a county pursuant to section five-a of this article; (ii) shall be paid in equal monthly installments; and (iii) shall be considered a part of the state minimum salaries for teachers.

    (d) Five thousand dollars shall be paid annually to each classroom teacher who:

    (1) Holds full state certification to teach in the subject area of mathematics and teaches in this subject area in grades seven through twelve;

    (2) Holds full state certification to teach in the subject area of science and teaches in this subject area in grades seven through twelve; or

    (3) Holds full state certification as a reading specialist.

    (e) Payments pursuant to subsection (d) of this section are:

    (1) In addition to any amounts prescribed in the applicable state minimum salary schedule;

    (2) Paid in equal monthly installments; and

    (3) Considered a part of the state minimum salaries for teachers.

    NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide an additional $5,000 in state minimum salary to fully certified math and science teachers who teach in these subjects in grades seven through twelve and to certified reading specialists.

    Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.