Amends TCA Title 49.

Generally under the present law basic education program (BEP) provisions:<br /> <br /> (1) The commissioner, as approved by the state board of education, must annually formulate a table of training and experience factors and a state salary schedule to be effective for each school year, which is applicable to all licensed personnel in every LEA, and which must include an established base salary per school year consisting of a term of 200 days for beginning licensed personnel with a bachelor's degree and zero years of experience; <br /> (2) In the alternative, an LEA may submit to the commissioner its own proposed salary schedule. Implementation of such a salary schedule is subject to approval by the commissioner and the state board; and<br /> (3) When funds are appropriated through the BEP funding formula for instructional salaries and wages, all such funds must be expended by an LEA on instructional salaries and wages; provided, however, if an LEA's average licensed salary exceeds the statewide average salary, such funds may also be expended on instructional benefits.<br /> <br /> This bill adds that:<br /> <br /> (1) For each fiscal year following a fiscal year in which there is an increase to the instructional salaries and wages component of the BEP in the general appropriations act to increase teacher salaries, the state salary schedule approved by the state board of education in accordance with (1) and (2) above must reflect the increase in proportion to the amount added to the instructional salaries and wages component;<br /> (2) Notwithstanding the present law provision described above in (3), for each fiscal year following a fiscal year in which there is an increase to the instructional salaries and wages component of the BEP in the general appropriations act to increase teacher salaries, an LEA that adopts a salary schedule in accordance with the present law provisions described above must increase the salary schedule in proportion to the amount added to the instructional salaries and wages component; and<br /> (3) An LEA is prohibited from reducing its contributions toward a health insurance policy below the minimum percentage specified in the general appropriations act or requiring LEA employees to increase contributions toward a health insurance policy based solely on an increase to the instructional salaries and wages component of the BEP in the general appropriations act to increase teacher salaries.<br /> <br />