Bill Text: DE SB294 | 2023-2024 | 152nd General Assembly | Draft

Delaware Senate Bill 294

Draft

Bill Title: An Act To Amend Title 14 Of The Delaware Code Relating To Salary Schedules For Early Childhood Personnel.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-15 - Assigned to Finance Committee in Senate [SB294 Detail]

Download: Delaware-2023-SB294-Draft.html

SPONSOR:	Sen. Gay & Rep. Neal & Sen. Sturgeon & Rep. S. Moore & Rep. Heffernan
Sens. Hansen, Poore; Rep. Parker Selby

DELAWARE STATE SENATE

152nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE BILL NO. 294

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO SALARY SCHEDULES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD PERSONNEL.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend § 1336, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 1336. Salary schedule for Department of Education early childhood personnel resulting from early childhood governance reorganization [For application of this section, see 84 Del. Laws, c. 81, § 8(m)(6)].

(a) An early childhood employee of the Department of Education who works and is paid for 12 months per year shall be paid in accordance with the following schedule from the first day of the first full pay cycle of the fiscal year through the last day of the pay cycle that contains the last day of the fiscal year:

Title Childcare Licensing Specialist Childcare Licensing Supervisor Administrator

Step 1 32,640 36,911 39,273

Step 2 33,283 37,639 40,047

Step 3 33,925 38,363 40,822

Step 4 34,567 39,094 41,598

Step 5 35,210 39,822 42,372

Step 6 35,852 40,550 43,147

Step 7 36,574 41,369 44,019

Step 8 37,297 42,187 44,892

Step 9 38,019 43,006 45,762

Step 10 38,742 43,824 46,634

Step 11 39,464 44,643 47,506

Step 12 40,268 45,553 48,475

Step 13 41,070 46,461 49,443

Step 14 41,874 47,372 50,412

Step 15 42,676 48,281 51,381

Step 16 43,479 49,191 52,350

(b) The Department of Education shall be authorized to revise the salary to be paid to any of its personnel, which shall enable the Department to pay salary supplements up to the equivalent, but in no case to exceed the average of the 3 highest salaries for like positions paid by school districts. The Department of Education shall establish rules and regulations for the assignment of early education personnel employed pursuant to § 1336 of this title who are not otherwise classified.

(c) Any employee paid from this section shall receive as a salary the amount for which the employee qualifies under subsection (a) of this section, plus an annual amount for additional education that is clearly related to the individual’s responsibilities as defined by the Department of Education as follows:

Certificate Education Supplement

Bachelors $0

Bachelor’s +15 $1,520

Bachelors +30 $1,720

Master’s $1,920

Master’s +15 $2,120

Master’s +30 $2,320

Master’s +45 $2,520

Doctorate $2,720

Section 2. This Act takes effect on July 1 following its enactment into law.

SYNOPSIS

This Act removes assigned salary schedules established for child care licensing specialists and child care licensing supervisors, who are employed through the Department of Education. By removing this language, the Department of Education will be able to provide equitable compensation to early childhood personnel within the Office of Child Care Licensing. Attracting and retaining employees is critical to ensure the State’s child care licensing system is sufficiently staffed. Currently, the statute prevents child care licensing specialists and child care licensing supervisors from equitable pay within the Department of Education, leading to high rates of turnover and inter-Department transfer. A lack of staffing limits the ability of the State to investigate complaints being made against child care centers.

Author: Senator Gay