A bill

to amend the South Carolina Code of Laws by amending Section 59-20-50, relating to teacher salary requirements, so as to require each teacher to be paid the national average teacher salary instead of the southeastern average.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1.   Section 59-20-50(4)(b) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

   (b) The state minimum salary schedule must be based on the state minimum salary schedule index in effect as of July 1, 1984. In Fiscal Year 1985, the 1.000 figure in the index is $14,172. (This figure is based on a 10.27% increase pursuant to the South Carolina Education Improvement Act of 1984.) Beginning with Fiscal Year 1986 2023-2024, the 1.000 figure in the index must be adjusted on a schedule to stay at the southeastern national average as projected by the Office of Research and Statistic of the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office and provided to the General Assembly during their deliberations on the annual appropriations bill. The southeastern national average teacher salary is the average of the average teachers' salaries of the southeastern fifty states and the District of Columbia. In projecting the southeastern national average, the office shall include in the South Carolina base teacher salary all local teacher supplements and all incentive pay. Under this schedule, school districts are required to maintain local salary supplements per teacher no less than their prior fiscal level. In Fiscal Year 1986 and thereafter teacher pay raises through adjustments in the state's minimum salary schedule may be provided only to teachers who demonstrate minimum knowledge proficiency by meeting one of the following criteria:

         (1) holding a valid professional certificate;

         (2) having a score of 425 or greater on the Commons Examination of the National Teachers Examinations;

         (3) meeting the minimum qualifying score on the appropriate area teaching examination; or

         (4) meeting the minimum standards on the basic skills examinations as prescribed by the State Board of Education provided in Section 59-26-20.

SECTION 2.   This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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