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.