The bill amends RCW 28A.405.415 to suspend the national board for professional standards certification bonuses for certificated instructional staff for the school years 2025-26 through 2028-29. Under the current law, certificated instructional staff who maintain their national board certification receive an annual bonus, which is set at $5,000 for the 2007-08 school year and is subject to inflation adjustments, with specific exceptions for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years. Additionally, staff in high poverty schools may qualify for an additional bonus of $5,000.

The new legal language inserted into the bill specifies that, despite the existing provisions for bonuses, no bonuses will be paid during the specified school years of 2025-26, 2026-27, 2027-28, or 2028-29. This change effectively suspends the bonus program for those years, impacting the financial incentives for certificated instructional staff who have achieved national board certification.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 28A.405.415