C4.02R - Teacher Salary Increase Allocation for 2020-2021 (Human Capital)

House Bills 641 and 5001 create and fund a new allocation within the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) focused on increasing compensation for full-time classroom teachers, assisting school districts in recruitment and retention of classroom teachers and instructional personnel.

The new statute and funding raises the minimum pay in each school district to at least $47.5K or to the maximum achievable based on the district's allocation.

HB 641 creates three important guarantees to ensure continuity of the public policy linked to the $500 million investment.

• HB 641 prevents these funds from being collectively bargained for other purposes, stating that, "the teacher salary increase allocation must be used solely to comply with the requirements of this section;"
• The bill requires "a school district or charter school" to maintain the new "minimum base salary achieved for classroom teachers" in subsequent fiscal years, unless specifically changed in a future General Appropriations Act; and
• The bill ensures an equitable distribution for school districts and public charter schools, requiring that "each school district shall provide each charter school within its district its proportionate share calculated pursuant to s.1002.33(17)(b)."

Maintaining the new "minimum" base salary.

This is a new initiative through the 2020 Legislative Session.

On or before October 1, 2020, each school district must submit an approved district salary distribution plan, along with the approved salary distribution plan for each charter school in the district to the Florida Department of Education (FDOE).

On or before December 1, 2020, each school district must submit a preliminary detailed teacher salary increase allocation expenditure report to the FDOE. Each charter school governing board must submit their preliminary report to the district in time to be included in the school district report to the FDOE.

By August 1, 2021, each school district must submit a final teacher salary increase allocation expenditure report to the FDOE.  Each charter school governing board must submit their final report to the district in time to be included in the school district report to the FDOE.

* Recruit, support, and retain a highly effective and diverse workforce

Approve teacher salary increase allocation plan.

Marie E. Whelan, Ed.D., Chief Human Capital Officer
Gretchen Saunders, Chief Financial Officer

 $38,640,276 allocated in the 2020/2021 FEFP calculation (see attachment).  Additional district funds in the amount of $5,764,370.58 will be provided (see attachments).