Senate Bill No. 140–Committee on Finance

 

(On Behalf of Clark County School District)

 

February 15, 2001

____________

 

Referred to Committee on Finance

 

SUMMARY—Revises provisions and makes appropriations regarding educational personnel. (BDR 34‑347)

 

FISCAL NOTE:            Effect on Local Government: Yes.

                                    Effect on the State: Contains Appropriation not included in Executive Budget.

 

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

AN ACT relating to education; revising provisions governing the increase of salary for a teacher who is certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards; requiring boards of trustees to pay the increase of salary retroactively under certain circumstances; making an appropriation to the department of education to pay for certain costs of public school teachers related to acquiring certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards; making appropriations to the Clark County school district for the recruitment and training of teachers; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

1-1    Section 1. NRS 387.303 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-2    387.303  1.  Not later than November 10 of each year, the board of

1-3  trustees of each school district shall submit to the superintendent of public

1-4  instruction and the department of taxation a report which includes the

1-5  following information:

1-6    (a) For each fund within the school district, including, without

1-7  limitation, the school district’s general fund and any special revenue fund

1-8  which receives state money, the total number and salaries of licensed and

1-9  nonlicensed persons whose salaries are paid from the fund and who are

1-10  employed by the school district in full-time positions or in part-time

1-11  positions added together to represent full-time positions. Information must

1-12  be provided for the current school year based upon the school district’s

1-13  final budget, including any amendments and augmentations thereto, and for

1-14  the preceding school year. An employee must be categorized as filling an

1-15  instructional, administrative, instructional support or other position.

2-1    (b) The count of pupils computed pursuant to paragraph (a) of

2-2  subsection 1 of NRS 387.1233.

2-3    (c) The average daily attendance for the preceding school year and the

2-4  estimated average daily attendance for the current school year of part-time

2-5  pupils enrolled in courses which are approved by the department as

2-6  meeting the requirements for an adult to earn a high school diploma.

2-7    (d) The school district’s actual expenditures in the fiscal year

2-8  immediately preceding the report.

2-9    (e) The school district’s proposed expenditures for the current fiscal

2-10  year.

2-11    (f) The schedule of salaries for licensed employees in the current school

2-12  year and a statement of whether the negotiations regarding salaries for the

2-13  current school year have been completed. If the negotiations have not been

2-14  completed at the time the schedule of salaries is submitted, the board of

2-15  trustees shall submit a supplemental report to the superintendent of public

2-16  instruction upon completion of negotiations or the determination of an

2-17  arbitrator concerning the negotiations that includes the schedule of salaries

2-18  agreed to or required by the arbitrator.

2-19    (g) The number of teachers who received an increase in salary pursuant

2-20  to subsection 2 of NRS 391.160 for the current and preceding fiscal years.

2-21  If the board of trustees is required to pay an increase in salary

2-22  retroactively pursuant to subsection 2 of NRS 391.160, the board of

2-23  trustees shall submit a supplemental report to the superintendent of

2-24  public instruction not later than February 15 of the year in which the

2-25  retroactive payment was made that includes the number of teachers to

2-26  whom an increase in salary was paid retroactively.

2-27    (h) The number of employees eligible for health insurance within the

2-28  school district for the current and preceding fiscal years and the amount

2-29  paid for health insurance for each such employee during those years.

2-30    (i) The rates for fringe benefits, excluding health insurance, paid by the

2-31  school district for its licensed employees in the preceding and current fiscal

2-32  years.

2-33    (j) The amount paid for extra duties, supervision of extracurricular

2-34  activities and supplemental pay and the number of employees receiving

2-35  that pay in the preceding and current fiscal years.

2-36    2.  On or before November 25 of each year, the superintendent of

2-37  public instruction shall submit to the department of administration and the

2-38  fiscal analysis division of the legislative counsel bureau, in a format

2-39  approved by the director of the department of administration, a compilation

2-40  of the reports made by each school district pursuant to subsection 1.

2-41    3.  The superintendent of public instruction shall, in the compilation

2-42  required by subsection 2, reconcile the revenues and expenditures of the

2-43  school districts with the apportionment received by those districts from the

2-44  state distributive school account for the preceding year.

2-45    Sec. 2. NRS 391.160 is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-46    391.160  1.  The salaries of teachers and other employees must be

2-47  determined by the character of the service required. A school district shall

2-48  not discriminate between male and female employees in the matter of

2-49  salary.

3-1    2.  Each year when determining the salary of a teacher who holds

3-2  certification issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching

3-3  Standards, a school district shall add 5 percent to the salary that the teacher

3-4  would otherwise receive in 1 year for his classification on the schedule of

3-5  salaries for the school district if:

3-6    (a) On or before [September 15] January 31 of the school year, the

3-7  teacher has submitted evidence satisfactory to the school district of his

3-8  current certification; and

3-9    (b) The teacher is assigned by the school district to provide classroom

3-10  instruction during that school year.

3-11  No increase in salary may be given during a particular school year to a

3-12  teacher who submits evidence of certification after [September 15]

3-13  January 31 of that school year. For the first school year that a teacher

3-14  submits evidence of his current certification, the board of trustees of the

3-15  school district to whom the evidence was submitted shall pay the increase

3-16  in salary required by this subsection retroactively to the beginning of that

3-17  school year. Once a teacher has submitted evidence of such certification to

3-18  the school district, the school district shall retain the evidence in its

3-19  records, as applicable, for future school years. An increase in salary given

3-20  in accordance with this subsection is in addition to any other increase to

3-21  which the teacher may otherwise be entitled.

3-22    3.  In determining the salary of a licensed teacher who is employed by a

3-23  school district after the teacher has been employed by another school

3-24  district in this state, the present employer shall, except as otherwise

3-25  provided in subsection 5:

3-26    (a) Give the teacher the same credit for previous teaching service as he

3-27  was receiving from his former employer at the end of his former

3-28  employment; and

3-29    (b) Give the teacher credit for his final year of service with his former

3-30  employer, if credit for that service is not included in credit given pursuant

3-31  to paragraph (a).

3-32    4.  A school district may give the credit required by subsection 3 for

3-33  previous teaching service earned in another state if the commission has

3-34  approved the standards for licensing teachers of that state. The commission

3-35  shall adopt regulations that establish the criteria by which the commission

3-36  will consider the standards for licensing teachers of other states for the

3-37  purposes of this subsection. The criteria may include, without limitation,

3-38  whether the commission has authorized reciprocal licensure of educational

3-39  personnel from the state under consideration.

3-40    5.  This section does not:

3-41    (a) Require a school district to allow a teacher more credit for previous

3-42  teaching service than the maximum credit for teaching experience provided

3-43  for in the schedule of salaries established by it for its licensed personnel.

3-44    (b) Permit a school district to deny a teacher credit for his previous

3-45  teaching service on the ground that the service differs in kind from the

3-46  teaching experience for which credit is otherwise given by the school

3-47  district.

3-48    6.  As used in this section, “previous teaching service” means the total

3-49  of:

4-1    (a) Any period of teaching service for which a teacher received credit

4-2  from his former employer at the beginning of his former employment; and

4-3    (b) His period of teaching service in his former employment.

4-4    Sec. 3. 1.  There is hereby appropriated from the state general fund to

4-5  the department of education the sum of $500,000 for grants of money to

4-6  pay the costs of public school teachers related to acquiring certification by

4-7  the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

4-8    2.  If a public school teacher desires to obtain a grant of money from

4-9  the department of education for the costs that will be incurred in acquiring

4-10  certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards,

4-11  the teacher shall submit to the department proof that the teacher is enrolled

4-12  in the program to acquire certification by the National Board for

4-13  Professional Teaching Standards. To the extent that money is available

4-14  from the appropriation made by subsection 1, the department shall

4-15  distribute a grant of money in an amount not to exceed $2,000 to each

4-16  teacher who submits proof to the department that the teacher is enrolled in

4-17  the program to acquire certification.

4-18    3.  If a teacher who receives a grant of money does not:

4-19    (a) Complete the program to acquire certification; or

4-20    (b) Acquire certification,

4-21  within the time allowed by the National Board for Professional Teaching

4-22  Standards, the teacher shall reimburse the department of education an

4-23  amount of money equal to one-half the total amount of the grant provided

4-24  to the teacher.

4-25    4.  Any remaining balance of the appropriation made by subsection 1

4-26  must not be committed for expenditure after June 30, 2003, and reverts to

4-27  the state general fund as soon as all payments of money committed have

4-28  been made.

4-29    Sec. 4.  1.  There is hereby appropriated from the state general fund

4-30  to the Clark County school district the sum of $1,881,600.

4-31    2.  The money appropriated by subsection 1 must be used by the Clark

4-32  County school district to provide grants or to create programs to pay the

4-33  costs of registration fees, textbooks and course materials for support

4-34  personnel and substitute teacher candidates who are:

4-35    (a) Employed by the Clark County school district; and

4-36    (b) Enrolled in a course of study and training that is designed to provide

4-37  the education required for the licensure of teachers and other educational

4-38  personnel within the University and Community College System of

4-39  Nevada or another accredited university or college in partnership with the

4-40  Clark County school district.

4-41  To the extent that money is available from the appropriation made by

4-42  subsection 1, each grant must not exceed an amount equal to the actual

4-43  verified costs for registration fees, textbooks and course materials or

4-44  $3,360, whichever is less.

4-45    3.  The money appropriated by subsection 1 must not be used to:

4-46    (a) Settle or arbitrate disputes or negotiate settlements between an

4-47  organization that represents licensed employees of the school district and

4-48  the school district.

5-1    (b) Adjust the schedules of salaries and benefits of employees of the

5-2  school district.

5-3    4.  Any remaining balance of the appropriation made by subsection 1

5-4  must not be committed for expenditure after June 30, 2003, and reverts to

5-5  the state general fund as soon as all payments of money committed have

5-6  been made.

5-7    Sec. 5.  1.  There is hereby appropriated from the state general fund

5-8  to the Clark County school district the sum of $1,500,000.

5-9    2.  The money appropriated by subsection 1 must be used by the Clark

5-10  County school district to provide signing bonuses or stipends, or both, for

5-11  teachers who are recruited by the school district during the 2001-2003

5-12  biennium to teach in subject areas for which the school district is highly in

5-13  need of teachers. Such a bonus or stipend must not exceed $1,500 per

5-14  teacher.

5-15    3.  The money appropriated by subsection 1 must not be used to:

5-16    (a) Settle or arbitrate disputes or negotiate settlements between an

5-17  organization that represents licensed employees of the school district and

5-18  the school district.

5-19    (b) Adjust the schedules of salaries and benefits of employees of the

5-20  school district.

5-21    4.  Any remaining balance of the appropriation made by subsection 1

5-22  must not be committed for expenditure after June 30, 2003, and reverts to

5-23  the state general fund as soon as all payments of money committed have

5-24  been made.

5-25    Sec. 6.  The board of trustees of a school district shall pay the increase

5-26  in salary required by subsection 2 of NRS 391.160 retroactively for the

5-27  2000-2001 school year for each teacher employed by the board of trustees

5-28  who:

5-29    1.  Acquired certification by the National Board for Professional

5-30  Teaching Standards in the year 2000;

5-31    2.  Submits evidence satisfactory to the school district of the teacher’s

5-32  current certification; and

5-33    3.  Provided classroom instruction in this state during the 2000-2001

5-34  school year.

5-35    Sec. 7.  This act becomes effective upon passage and approval.

 

5-36  H