6/29/10

Today, Texas Attorney General Opinion No. GA-0785 was issued on "Effect of recent amendment to section 21.402 of the Education Code on salaries paid to school district employees."  This was the long awaited opinion on the payment of pay step increases for classroom teachers and other employees for school year 2010-2011.  The opinion affirmatively answered this question, which adds significant pressures to the challenge of adopting a balanced school district budget for fiscal year 2011.    

The summary to the opinion states,

“A school district that adopted a local salary schedule in 2008-2009 must compensate an educator subject to Education Code section 21.402(a) in the 2010-2011 school year in the amount provided by subsection (c-1) and the amount he or she would receive under the district's 2008-2009 local salary schedule if it were in effect for the 2010-2011 school year, including any local supplement and any money representing a career ladder supplement for that school year. The educator will receive that amount even if the 2008-2009 local salary schedule did not provide him or her a salary increase in the 2009-2010 school years.

A school district that adopted a local salary schedule in 2008-2009 would be required to pay an educator with seven years' experience hired for the first time during the 2010-2011 school year the amount provided by the district's 2008-2009 salary schedule as if it applied in 2010-2011.”

 To read the opinion, click on the link below.