TO THE ADMINISTRATOR ADDRESSED:
During the 1999 Legislative session, the Legislature required school districts to provide a $300 per month salary increase to each classroom teacher, full-time librarian, counselor and nurse. As noted in previous correspondence, that increase is required to be in addition to the salary that the employee would have been entitled to on the district's 1998-99 salary schedule in the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 school years, including any local supplements.
This requirement is statutory, and funds for implementing the new salary schedule are being sent to districts for the 1999-2000 school year. The Foundation School Program formulas deliver higher state aid or reduced recapture to fund the salary increase. In a few instances, the state also sends supplemental transition assistance if the formula gains are insufficient to cover costs.
The Regional Day School Program for the Deaf (RDSPD) is funded by State Foundation Program Funds (T.E.C. §30.087). The FTEs for teachers, librarians, counselors and nurses employed in school districts and assigned to the RDSPD are included in calculation of cost used to determine the need for any transition assistance. Funding of the pay increase for RDSPD is accomplished through the Foundation School Program formulas or transition assistance. Therefore, no additional charges against the RDSPD should be made. Fiscal agents for the RDSPD should not charge member districts additional funding for these pay increases since each member school district received funding for the pay increase for its own employees.
Please advise appropriate district payroll and accounting staff of this important clarification regarding this legislation. If you have questions or need additional information, contact Dean Cunningham at Services for the Deaf, at (512) 463-9424.
Sincerely,
Jim Nelson
Commissioner of Education
JN:jw:sc
For further information on this topic, contact Dean Cunningham at Services for the Deaf, at (512) 463-9424.