1. (a) PAY INCREASES, FY 2024-2025. The State Budget Officer shall allocate to the State Board of Education, the Board of Trustees of the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind, the Board of Youth Services School District, the Board of Directors of the Alabama School of Fine Arts, the Board of Directors for the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering, and the Board of Trustees of the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science and for disbursement to the employees thereof funds based on the criteria established in this section. It is not the intent of this section to make appropriations, but the appropriations required by this section shall be made in the annual Education Trust Fund budget act for the designated fiscal year.

   1. (1) Certificated Personnel (K-12). For the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2024, and each year thereafter, each certificated employee at all city and county school systems and the teachers at the Department of Youth Services School District shall receive a two percent salary increase. Each step and cell on the State Minimum Salary Schedule contained in the annual budget act for the public schools shall be increased by the amounts below for fiscal year 2024-2025, the State Minimum Salary Schedule shall reflect the following percentage increase:

      Years of ExperienceIncrease02.00%12.00%22.00%32.00%42.00%52.00%62.00%72.00%82.00%92.00%102.00%112.00%122.00%132.00%142.00%152.00%162.00%172.00%182.00%192.00%202.00%212.00%222.00%232.00%242.00%252.00%262.00%272.00%282.00%292.00%302.00%312.00%322.00%332.00%342.00%352.00%

      All certificated employees, including the Adult Basic Education and Science in Motion employees, shall be guaranteed pay increases in the amounts indicated above for their years of experience and degrees earned and the corresponding pay increases shall be reflected in the appropriate local salary schedule and paid to each certificated employee. The provisions and requirements of this section shall be in addition to the provisions of Section 16-13-231.1, relating to the State Minimum Salary Schedule. Each certificated employee shall be properly placed on the local salary schedule according to degree earned and years of public education service (either in-state or out-of-state), which shall be not less than the amounts appropriated for the State Minimum Salary Schedule. The employee shall be paid according to degree earned and length of public education experience. The pay increase shall be given to each person employed for the 2024-2025 fiscal year in addition to any state or local step increase to which the employee is otherwise entitled. The local board of education shall transmit to the State Department of Education the appropriate notice of the earned advanced degree for each employee in a timely fashion; thereafter, the employee shall be paid for the advanced degree as soon as the degree is certified to the State Department of Education as being earned.

   2. (2) Education Support Personnel (K-12). A two percent pay increase, beginning with the fiscal year 2024-2025, shall be paid to each public education support worker and adult bus driver, including Adult Basic Education and Science in Motion personnel, employed for the 2024-2025 fiscal year in addition to the salary received during the 2023-2024 fiscal year, except employees covered under the state’s Merit System at the Department of Youth Services School District. Each governing body or authority shall establish and maintain a salary schedule for each class and type of employee and each step of each salary schedule shall be increased to reflect a two percent pay increase beginning with fiscal year 2024-2025, which shall be given to the person employed full-time for the 2024-2025 fiscal year and each year employed full-time thereafter. The base rate of pay for part-time support employees shall be increased by two percent beginning with fiscal year 2024-2025. A separate local salary schedule shall be established and maintained for each specific job performed.

   3. (3) AIDB. For the fiscal year 2024-2025, employees at the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind shall receive a pay increase which shall be in excess of their salaries received during the 2023-2024 fiscal year. The increase shall be as follows:

      1. a. Certificated. The salary schedule for certificated employees shall be revised to reflect at least the following percentage increase beginning with the fiscal year 2024-2025:

         StepYears of ExperienceIncrease1Less than 32.00%23 but less than 62.00%36 but less than 92.00%49 but less than 122.00%512 but less than 152.00%615 but less than 182.00%718 but less than 212.00%821 or greater2.00%924 but less than 272.00%1027 or more2.00%

      2. b. Education Support Personnel (K-12). A two percent pay increase, beginning with the 2024-2025 fiscal year, shall be given to each support worker employed full-time by the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind. A separate local salary schedule shall be established and maintained for each specific job performed. The pay increase in this section shall be incorporated into the support employees’ salary schedules. The base rate of pay for part-time support employees shall be increased by two percent for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
      3. c. Miscellaneous Requirements. The AIDB board shall establish and maintain a salary schedule for each class and type of employee and each step of each salary schedule for fiscal year 2024-2025 shall be increased to reflect the pay increase above to be given to each person employed for the 2024-2025 fiscal year and each year employed thereafter. The pay increase contained in this subsection shall be paid to each employee.
   4. (4) Two-Year Postsecondary Institutions. The Board of Trustees of the Community College System shall revise all salary schedules of the two-year postsecondary institutions to reflect an increase of two percent for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. The pay increase shall be given to each person employed in addition to any step increase to which the employee is otherwise entitled. The Alabama Community College System shall take proper steps to ensure that employees on all salary schedules are given full credit for prior work experience in the public schools and colleges, and shall take care to ensure proper placements on the salary schedules. Placement on the revised salary schedules shall be in accordance with the employee’s length of service in public education. No pay increase shall be given to any two-year postsecondary employee in excess of two percent, except as specifically provided in this section.

   5. (5) Miscellaneous provisions. The following provisions are hereby established:

      1. a. Fiscal Year. All salaries and salary increases which are established by the State Board of Education shall be paid in full to each person employed before the end of the applicable fiscal year as defined in Section 16-1-1, as amended.
      2. b. Extended Work. Public K-12 school employees on contracts which extend beyond 187 days, or the hourly equivalent thereof, shall be given a pro rata salary increment for each or partial day of work extending beyond 187 days.
      3. c. Local Increment. Any cost-of-living adjustment and/or increase on the State Minimum Salary Schedule for teachers as provided in this section shall be exclusive of any local pay increase granted or due to teachers under provisions of any local salary schedule. Any cost-of-living adjustment and/or pay increase required by this section for public school support personnel shall be in addition to any pay increase due or granted to the employee under provisions of any local salary schedules. The pay increase provisions of this section shall not apply to any salary supplements granted by local boards of education, bonuses earned for certification by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards, or the federal portion of the salary paid to a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) instructor employed by a local school board.
      4. d. Community Education. Each county and city board of education shall have the option to exclude from the provisions of this section any part-time employees of community education or school-sponsored child care or child enrichment program which is supplemental to the state-required educational program.
      5. e. Local Chief Executive Officers. The pay increase provisions of this section shall not apply to superintendents of education of any school system or institution. Any pay increase given to the superintendent shall be by majority recorded vote of the governing body or authority.
2. (b) The pay increase granted in this section shall begin in fiscal year 2024-2025 and continue in subsequent years. Nothing in this section shall authorize additional pay increases in subsequent years.

(Act 2024-292, §§1-2.)