The bill amends the Public School Code of 1949 to establish a Pre-K Teacher Salary Supplement Pilot Program aimed at aligning pre-kindergarten teachers' salaries with those of elementary school teachers who possess comparable skills. The program will operate for three school years, beginning after the effective date of the bill. The Department of Education is tasked with creating guidelines for implementation, selecting eligible pre-kindergarten programs based on specific poverty criteria, and comparing teacher salaries and qualifications between pre-kindergarten and public school teachers. The department will also provide subsidies to increase pre-kindergarten teacher salaries to match those of public school teachers.

Additionally, the bill mandates that the Department of Education collect data and issue a report one year after the pilot program's implementation, detailing its success or failure and offering recommendations for improvements. Eligible pre-kindergarten programs must provide necessary salary information and ensure that funds received are exclusively used for increasing teacher salaries. The bill emphasizes accountability by requiring the recovery of any misused funds. The act will take effect 60 days after its passage.

Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 799 (Mar 03, 2025): P.L.30, No.14
Printer's No. 0799: P.L.30, No.14