The proposed bill would update current statutes by mandating that school districts and charter schools revise their salary schedules to increase the base salary of all eligible teachers, contingent upon voter approval of an increase to the Permanent State School Fund's annual distribution rate. It specifies that these salary increases must not lower the base salary of eligible teachers below the FY 2026 level and defines "eligible teacher" while excluding administrators and those in the lowest performance classifications. Additionally, the bill establishes a Teacher Pay Fund, detailing the Arizona Department of Education's responsibilities in administering the fund and ensuring compliance with reporting requirements, along with penalties for noncompliance.

Furthermore, the bill would amend section 15-132 of the Arizona Revised Statutes regarding temporary certificates for exchange teachers and professors. It replaces the term "promulgated" with "adopted" and adds "PROFESSOR" to clarify that the certification applies to both teachers and professors. These updates aim to modernize the language of the statute and broaden its applicability to include a wider range of educational professionals involved in exchange programs.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-132