15-952

15-952. Additional monies for teacher
compensation; definitions

A. The governing board of a school district may calculate its revenue control limit
and district support level for the budget year using the base level prescribed in section
15-901, subsection B, paragraph 2 increased by 1.25 per cent if granted approval by the
state board of education according to the following procedure:

1. If the governing board did not receive approval to increase the school
district's base level as provided in this section for the current year:

(a) The governing board shall submit evidence to the state board by May 1 that the
school district has met the following requirements:

(i) The school district's teacher performance evaluation system meets the standards
recommended by the state board as prescribed in section 15-537.

(ii) The persons evaluating teachers for retention decisions meet the minimum
qualifications for evaluators recommended by the state board as prescribed in section
15-537.

(b) The state board shall notify the governing board by June 1 whether it has met
the requirements and has preliminary approval to increase the school district's base
level for the budget year.

(c) If the governing board receives preliminary approval to increase the school
district's base level as prescribed in subdivision (b) of this paragraph for the budget
year and wishes to receive final approval, the governing board shall prepare and submit
to the state board by June 15 two proposed budgets as follows:

(i) One proposed budget showing the amount budgeted for teacher compensation if
final approval to increase the school district's base level is not granted.

(ii) One proposed budget showing the amount budgeted for teacher compensation if
final approval to increase the school district's base level is granted.

(d) If the school district's proposed budgets demonstrate that the governing board
has budgeted the additional monies for additional teacher compensation as provided in
this section, the state board shall give final approval to the governing board to
increase the school district's base level as provided in this section and shall notify
the governing board of the approval by July 1.

2. If the governing board received approval to increase the school district's base
level as provided in this section for the current year but not for the year before the
current year:

(a) The governing board shall submit evidence to the state board by February 1 that
the school district:

(i) Continues to meet the requirements prescribed in paragraph 1, subdivision (a)
of this subsection.

(ii) Adopted the budget for the current year which it submitted to the state board
as provided in paragraph 1, subdivision (c), item (ii) of this subsection.

(b) The state board shall notify the governing board by March 1 whether its
application to increase the base level is approved for the budget year.

3. If the governing board received approval to increase the school district's base
level as provided in this section for the current year and for the year before the
current year:

(a) The governing board shall submit evidence to the state board by February 1 that
the school district continues to meet the requirements prescribed in paragraph 1,
subdivision (a) of this subsection.

(b) The state board shall notify the governing board by March 1 whether its
application to increase the base level is approved for the budget year.

B. The state board shall prescribe the methods for demonstrating that the
requirements in subsection A of this section have been met.

C. For any fiscal year in which a governing board receives approval to increase the
school district's base level as provided in this section, the governing board may only
expend the additional monies for additional teacher compensation.

D. In this section:

1. "Additional monies" means the amount of the increase in the base support level
produced by increasing the base level as provided in subsection A of this section.

2. "Teacher compensation" means salaries and employee fringe benefits and other
nonsalary benefits for certificated teachers.