1. (a) PAY INCREASES, FY 2016-2017. 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, 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 EARNING LESS THAN $75,000 (K-12). For the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2016, 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 earning less than $75,000 annually shall receive a four percent salary increase. Notwithstanding the foregoing, principals and assistant principals earning $75,000 or more shall also receive the four percent salary increase in the same manner as provided for in this section. Each step and cell on the State Minimum Salary Schedule below $75,000 contained in the annual budget act for the public schools shall be increased by the amounts below for fiscal year 2016-2017. The State Minimum Salary Schedule shall reflect the following percentage increase:

      StepYears of ExperienceIncrease 1Less than 34.0% 23 but less than 64.0% 36 but less than 94.0% 49 but less than 124.0% PubTbl row rht=“0.34in” 512 but less than 154.0% 615 but less than 184.0% 718 but less than 214.0% 821 or greater4.0% 924 but less than 274.0% 1027 or more4.0%

      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 earning less than $75,000 annually. 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 2016-2017 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) CERTIFICATED PERSONNEL EARNING $75,000 OR MORE (K-12). For the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2016, 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 earning $75,000 or more shall receive a two percent salary increase. Notwithstanding the foregoing, principals and assistant principals earning $75,000 or more shall receive the four percent salary increase pursuant to and in the manner provided by subdivision (1) of this section. Each step and cell on the State Minimum Salary Schedule starting at $75,000 contained in the annual budget act for the public schools shall be increased by the amounts below for fiscal year 2016-2017, the State Minimum Salary Schedule shall reflect the following percentage increase:

      StepYears of ExperienceIncrease 1Less than 32.0% 23 but less than 62.0% 36 but less than 92.0% 49 but less than 122.0% PubTbl row rht=“0.34in” 512 but less than 152.0% 615 but less than 182.0% 718 but less than 212.0% 821 or greater2.0% 924 but less than 272.0% 1027 or more2.0%

      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 earning $75,000 or more annually. 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 2016-2017 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.

   3. (3) EDUCATION SUPPORT PERSONNEL EARNING LESS THAN $75,000 (K-12). A four percent pay increase, beginning with the fiscal year 2016-2017, 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 2016-2017 fiscal year in addition to the salary received during the 2015-2016 fiscal year, except employees covered under the state’s Merit System at the Department of Youth Services 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 four percent pay increase beginning with fiscal year 2016-2017, which shall be given to the person employed full-time for the 2016-2017 fiscal year and each year employed full-time thereafter. The base rate of pay for part-time support employees shall be increased by four percent beginning with fiscal year 2016-2017. A separate local salary schedule shall be established and maintained for each specific job performed.
   4. (4) EDUCATION SUPPORT PERSONNEL EARNING $75,000 OR MORE (K-12). A two percent pay increase, beginning with the fiscal year 2016-2017, 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 2016-2017 fiscal year in addition to the salary received during the 2015-2016 fiscal year, except employees covered under the state’s Merit System at the Department of Youth Services 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 2016-2017, which shall be given to the person employed full-time for the 2016-2017 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 2016-2017. A separate local salary schedule shall be established and maintained for each specific job performed.

   5. (5) AIDB. For the fiscal year 2016-2017, 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 2015-2016 fiscal year. The increase shall be as follows:

      1. a. Certificated Employees Earning Less than $75,000. The salary schedule for certificated employees earning less than $75,000 shall be revised to reflect at least the following percentage increase beginning with the fiscal year 2016-2017:

         StepYears of ExperienceIncrease 1Less than 34.0% 23 but less than 64.0% 36 but less than 94.0% 49 but less than 124.0% 512 but less than 154.0% 615 but less than 184.0% 718 but less than 214.0% 821 or greater4.0% 924 but less than 274.0% 1027 or more4.0%

      2. b. Certificated Employes Earning $75,000 or More. The salary schedule for certified employees earning more than $75,000 shall be revised to reflect at least the following percentage increase beginning with the fiscal year 2016-2017:

         StepYears of ExperienceIncrease 1Less than 32.0% 23 but less than 62.0% 36 but less than 92.0% 49 but less than 122.0% 512 but less than 152.0% 615 but less than 182.0% 718 but less than 212.0% 821 or greater2.0% 924 but less than 272.0% 1027 or more2.0%

      3. c. Education Support Personnel Earning Less than $75,000 (K-12). A four percent pay increase, beginning with the 2016-2017 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 four percent for the 2016-2017 fiscal year.
      4. d. Education Support Personnel Earning $75,000 or More (K-12). A two percent pay increase, beginning with the 2016-2017 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 2016-2017 fiscal year.
      5. e. 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 2016-2017 shall be increased to reflect the pay increases above to be given to each person employed for the 2016-2017 fiscal year and each year employed thereafter. The pay increases contained in this subsection shall be paid to each employee.
   6. (6) TWO-YEAR POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTIONS EMPLOYEES. 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 four percent for the 2016-2017 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 Postsecondary Education Department 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 four percent, except as specifically provided in this section.

   7. (7) 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.
      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.
      6. f. Commencing at the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year, additional compensation for an advanced degree shall only be provided if the advanced degree is earned in the same field of study as the subject matter the person is teaching, unless: (i) the advanced degree is in education administration or counseling; or (ii) the person teaches a subject that is in critical shortage, as defined by the local school system and approved by the State Department of Education; or (iii) the teacher is required to transfer to another area or subject. A teacher who has made progress toward earning an advanced degree before the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year, as determined by parameters established by rule of the department, upon earning that advanced degree, shall be entitled to the additional compensation without regard to the field of study for which the advanced degree was earned. The State Department of Education, by rule, shall establish parameters defining the field of study to which a particular advanced degree correlates for the purposes of this paragraph.
      7. g. Paragraph f. to the contrary notwithstanding, additional compensation for an advanced degree where progress toward the degree is initially commenced after the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year, shall only be provided if the advanced degree is earned at an accredited institution of higher education.
      8. h. The requirement that an advanced degree be earned in the same field of study as the subject matter being taught shall be liberally construed to include self-contained teachers who teach all subjects at a particular grade level.
      9. i. By October 1 of each year, the State Department of Education shall submit a report to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Chair of the House Ways and Means Education Committee, and the Chair of the Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee, listing the number of advanced degrees earned by teachers during the preceding school year, the type of advanced degrees earned, and the number of advanced degrees earned in the field of study as the subject matter being taught by teachers earning advanced degrees.
2. (b) The pay increases granted in Section 1 shall begin in fiscal year 2016-2017 and continue in subsequent years. Nothing in subsection (a) shall authorize additional pay increases in subsequent years.

(Act 2016-198, §§1, 2.)