Earlier this afternoon the House Appropriations and the
Senate Finance Committees reported their respective versions of the amendments
to the current budget. Among the
highlights of those actions are the following:
The House Committee recommended $53.7 Million for the state share of the
2% salary increase for instructional personnel calculated on an effective date
of August 1, 2013. School boards can
take advantage of this pay increase so long as they provide their share of the
pay increase no later than January 1, 2014.
The House Committee also recommended $9.1 Million as the state share of
a 2% pay increase for support personnel effective January 1, 2014. The House Committee would prohibit the use of
the mandated VRS salary increases as the local match to get the state share.
The Senate Committee recommended $76 Million for the state
share of the 2% salary increase for instructional and support personnel
effective July 1, 2013. In order to be
eligible for the state share a school board will have to certify no later than
June 15, 2013, that salary increases of 2% on average have been provided for
the 2013-2014 school year. School
Board’s that give increases of at least 1% but less than 2% will get a prorate
reduction of the state share. The Senate
also prohibits using the mandated VRS salary increases as the local share.
The House Committee recommended $6.1 to restore one-half of
the COCA for support positions that was eliminated in the Governor’s budget. The Senate would only restore COCA by 9.83%.
The House supported the $600,000 in the Governor’s budget
for the Opportunity Educational Institution, which is the Governor’s proposal
to take over failing schools. The Senate
Committee deleted the $600,000 in the Governor’s budget and did not recommend
any language relating to the Opportunity Educational Institution. However, the Senate did instruct JLARC to
study what other cities and states have done with regard to low performing schools,
including the takeover of such schools and converting them to charter
schools. If passed, JLARC would have to
issue its report in November, 2013.
