The bill amends Section 21.402 of the Education Code to establish new salary requirements for certain public school employees, including classroom teachers, full-time librarians, full-time school counselors, and full-time school nurses, for the 2025-2026 school year. Specifically, it mandates that these employees receive a monthly salary that is at least equal to their projected salary under the previous year's schedule, plus an additional $400. The bill also ensures that these employees retain their salary level as long as they remain with the same school district. Additionally, it introduces a new provision for state aid to school districts, allowing them to receive funding based on the number of eligible professional employees they have.

Furthermore, the bill appropriates $1 billion from the economic stabilization fund to the foundation school fund for the purpose of providing one-time retention bonuses to district support staff. This funding is to be distributed based on the number of full-time district employees, excluding administrators and those subject to the minimum salary schedule. The bill repeals a previous subsection (c-1) and specifies that the new provisions will take effect starting with the 2025-2026 school year, with certain sections potentially taking immediate effect if approved by a two-thirds vote in the legislature.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 21.402 (Education Code 21)