WEST virginia legislature
2021 regular session
Introduced
House Bill 3125
[Introduced March 12, 2021;
Referred to the Committee on Education then Finance]
A BILL to amend and
reenact §18A-4-5a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to
requiring county boards of education to provide additional compensation for
teachers assigned duties in addition to the teacher’s regular instructional
duties when the noninstructional duties are not a part of the scheduled hours
of the regular school day.
Be it enacted by the
Legislature of West Virginia:
(a) County boards of
education in fixing the salaries of teachers shall use at least the state
minimum salaries established under the provisions of this article. The board
may establish salary schedules which shall be in excess of the state minimums
fixed by this article, such county schedules to be uniform throughout the
county as to the classification of training, experience, responsibility and
other requirements subject to the following:
(1) Counties may fix higher
salaries for teachers placed in special instructional assignments, for those
assigned to or employed for duties other than regular instructional duties, and
for teachers of one-teacher schools;
(2) Counties may shall
provide additional compensation for any teacher assigned duties in addition to
the teacher’s regular instructional duties wherein such noninstructional duties
are not a part of the scheduled hours of the regular school day;
(3) Counties may provide
additional compensation for teachers who are assigned and fully certified to
teach in a subject area in which the county board finds it has a critical need
and shortage of fully certified teachers;
(4) Counties may provide
additional compensation or other financial assistance to teachers who teach in
schools that are in remote geographical locations or have experienced high
rates of turnover in experienced teachers; and
(5) Counties may provide
additional compensation to teachers who, in addition to regularly assigned
teaching duties, are assigned as a master teacher, mentor, academic coach, or
other title whose duties include providing strong school-based support and
supervision to assist licensure candidates in a clinical internship, beginning
teachers, and other teachers at the school to improve their professional
practice as set forth in the county’s comprehensive system of support for
teacher and leader induction and professional growth provided for in section §18A-3C-3 of
this code.
(b) In establishing such
local salary schedules authorized in subsection (a) of this section, a county
may not reduce local funds allocated for salaries in effect on January 1, 1990,
and used in supplementing the state minimum salaries as provided for in this
article, unless forced to do so by defeat of a special levy, or a loss in
assessed values or events over which it has no control and for which the county
board has received approval from the state board prior to making such
reduction.
(c) Counties may provide,
in a uniform manner, benefits for teachers which require an appropriation from
local funds including, but not limited to, dental, optical, health and income
protection insurance, vacation time and retirement plans excluding the State
Teachers Retirement System. Nothing herein shall prohibit the maintenance nor
result in the reduction of any benefits in effect on January 1, 1984, by any
county board of education.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is
to require county boards of education to provide additional compensation for
teachers assigned duties in addition to the teacher’s regular instructional
duties when the noninstructional duties are not a part of the scheduled hours
of the regular school day.
Strike-throughs indicate language
that would be stricken from a heading or the present law, and underscoring
indicates new language that would be added.