H. B. 2491

                        (By Delegates L. Phillips, Trecost, Campbell, Ferro, Pethtel,

                          Hornbuckle, Perry, Miley, Moore, Longstreth and Eldridge)

                        [Introduced January 28, 2015; referred to the

                        Committee on Education then Finance.]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §18A-4-2c, relating to requiring the State Board of Education to conduct a study and periodically publish starting salary schedules for new hire teachers; and requiring rule-making.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

            That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §18A-4-2c, to read as follows:

ARTICLE 4. SALARIES, WAGES AND OTHER BENEFITS.

§18A-4-2c. Regional study every five years; salary adjustment for new hire teachers; rule-                         making.

            (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article to the contrary, beginning July 1, 2015, and every fifth year thereafter, the State Board of Education shall conduct a study of the average starting salaries of teachers in West Virginia and the five surrounding states of Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Kentucky. The board shall adopt the average starting salary for these six states as the state minimum salary for new hire teachers. The salary average may also reflect any state's classification of salaries based on training, experience, responsibility and other requirements for teacher positions. However, the study shall also allow for any salary adjustments made by the Legislature.

            (b) The board shall propose rules in accordance with article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code that are necessary to effectuate the requirements and purposes of this section by July 1, 2015.

            NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to relating to require the State Board of Education to study the salaries and salary adjustments of new hire teachers in a six state region. The bill requires the averages of those salaries and salary adjustments to be the salaries and salary adjustments of new hire teachers in West Virginia. The bill also provides that the Legislature retains the authority to make additional salary adjustments. The bill also requires rule-making.

            This section is new; therefore, it has been completely underscored.