AN ACT to prevent the elimination of retiree medical benefits for members first earning service under the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System, the Consolidated Judicial Retirement System, the Legislative Retirement System, or the Optional Retirement Programs, established under G.S. 135‑5.1 and G.S. 135‑5.4, on or after january 1, 2021, to increase salaries for teachers and instructional support personnel who have sixteen or more years of experience, and to provide education‑based salary supplements to school social workers.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

part i. restore state employee and teacher retiree medical benefits

SECTION 1.(a)  Subsections (c) and (d) of Section 35.21 of S.L. 2017‑57 are repealed.

SECTION 1.(b)  This section is effective retroactively to December 31, 2020.

 

part ii. increase veteran teacher salaries

SECTION 2.(a)  The following monthly teacher salary schedule shall apply for the 2022‑2023 fiscal year to licensed personnel of the public schools who are classified as teachers. The salary schedule is based on years of teaching experience.

2022‑2023 Teacher Monthly Salary Schedule

Years of Experience                                                              A Teachers

0                                                                                         $3,546

1                                                                                         $3,647

2                                                                                         $3,748

3                                                                                         $3,849

4                                                                                         $3,951

5                                                                                         $4,052

6                                                                                         $4,153

7                                                                                         $4,255

8                                                                                         $4,356

9                                                                                         $4,457

10                                                                                       $4,559

11                                                                                       $4,660

12                                                                                       $4,761

13                                                                                       $4,862

14                                                                                       $4,964

15                                                                                       $5,065

16                                                                                       $5,165

17                                                                                       $5,265

18                                                                                       $5,365

19                                                                                       $5,465

20                                                                                       $5,565

21                                                                                       $5,665

22                                                                                       $5,765

23                                                                                       $5,865

24                                                                                       $5,965

25                                                                                       $6,065

26                                                                                       $6,165

27                                                                                       $6,265

28                                                                                       $6,365

29                                                                                       $6,465

30+                                                                                     $6,565

SECTION 2.(b)  Salary Supplements for Teachers Paid on This Salary Schedule. –

(1)        Licensed teachers who have NBPTS certification shall receive a salary supplement each month of twelve percent (12%) of their monthly salary on the A salary schedule.

(2)        Licensed teachers who are classified as M teachers shall receive a salary supplement each month of ten percent (10%) of their monthly salary on the A salary schedule.

(3)        Licensed teachers with licensure based on academic preparation at the six‑year degree level shall receive a salary supplement of one hundred twenty‑six dollars ($126.00) per month in addition to the supplement provided to them as M teachers.

(4)        Licensed teachers with licensure based on academic preparation at the doctoral degree level shall receive a salary supplement of two hundred fifty‑three dollars ($253.00) per month in addition to the supplement provided to them as M teachers.

(5)        Certified school nurses shall receive a salary supplement each month of ten percent (10%) of their monthly salary on the A salary schedule.

(6)        School counselors who are licensed as counselors at the master's degree level or higher shall receive a salary supplement each month of one hundred dollars ($100.00).

SECTION 2.(c)  For school psychologists, school speech pathologists who are licensed as speech pathologists at the master's degree level or higher, and school audiologists who are licensed as audiologists at the master's degree level or higher, the following shall apply:

(1)        The first step of the salary schedule shall be equivalent to the sixth step of the A salary schedule.

(2)        These employees shall receive the following salary supplements each month:

a.         Ten percent (10%) of their monthly salary, excluding the supplement provided pursuant to sub‑subdivision b. of this subdivision.

b.         Three hundred fifty dollars ($350.00).

(3)        These employees are eligible to receive salary supplements equivalent to those of teachers for academic preparation at the six‑year degree level or the doctoral degree level.

(4)        The twenty‑sixth step of the salary schedule shall be seven and one‑half percent (7.5%) higher than the salary received by these same employees on the twenty‑fifth step of the salary schedule.

SECTION 2.(d)  Beginning with the 2014‑2015 fiscal year, in lieu of providing annual longevity payments to teachers paid on the teacher salary schedule, the amounts of those longevity payments are included in the monthly amounts under the teacher salary schedule.

SECTION 2.(e)  A teacher compensated in accordance with this salary schedule for the 2022‑2023 school year shall receive an amount equal to the greater of the following:

(1)        The applicable amount on the salary schedule for the applicable school year.

(2)        For teachers who were eligible for longevity for the 2013‑2014 school year, the sum of the following:

a.         The salary the teacher received in the 2013‑2014 school year pursuant to Section 35.11 of S.L. 2013‑360.

b.         The longevity that the teacher would have received under the longevity system in effect for the 2013‑2014 school year provided in Section 35.11 of S.L. 2013‑360 based on the teacher's current years of service.

c.         The annual bonus provided in Section 9.1(e) of S.L. 2014‑100.

(3)        For teachers who were not eligible for longevity for the 2013‑2014 school year, the sum of the salary and annual bonus the teacher received in the 2014‑2015 school year pursuant to Section 9.1 of S.L. 2014‑100.

SECTION 2.(f)  As used in this section, the term teacher shall also include instructional support personnel.

SECTION 2.(g)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction for the 2022‑2023 fiscal year the sum of three hundred sixty million dollars ($360,000,000) in recurring funds to provide for the compensation of teachers and instructional support personnel in accordance with this section.

SECTION 2.(h)  This section becomes effective July 1, 2022.

 

part iii. provide education‑based salary supplements for school social workers

SECTION 3.(a)  G.S. 115C‑302.10, as amended by Section 7A.1(h) of S.L. 2021‑180, reads as rewritten:

§ 115C‑302.10.  Qualifications for certain education‑based salary supplements.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, only the following teachers and instructional support personnel shall be paid on the M salary schedule or receive a salary supplement for academic preparation at the six‑year degree level or at the doctoral degree level:

(1)        Certified school nurses and instructional The following licensed personnel:

a.         School nurses.

b.         School social workers.

c.         Instructional support personnel in positions for which a master's degree is required for licensure.

(2)        Teachers and instructional support personnel who were paid on that salary schedule or received that salary supplement prior to the 2014‑2015 school year.

(3)        Teachers and instructional support personnel who (i) complete a degree at the master's, six‑year, or doctoral degree level for which they completed at least one course prior to August 1, 2013, and (ii) would have qualified for the salary supplement pursuant to State Board of Education policy TCP‑A‑006, as it was in effect on June 30, 2013.

SECTION 3.(b)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction for the 2022‑2023 fiscal year the sum of four hundred fifty thousand dollars ($450,000) in recurring funds to provide education‑based salary supplements to school social workers in accordance with this section.

SECTION 3.(c)  This section becomes effective July 1, 2022.

 

part iv. effective date

SECTION 4.  Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes law.