53E-8-302. Annual salary adjustments for educators.
(1)
In accordance with Section 53F-7-301, the Legislature shall appropriate money to the state board for the salary adjustments described in this section.
Terms Used In Utah Code 53E-8-302
Blind: means :
(a)
if the person is three years of age or older but younger than 22 years of age, having a visual impairment that, even with correction, adversely affects educational performance or substantially limits one or more major life activities; and
(b)
if the person is younger than three years of age, having a visual impairment. See Utah Code 53E-8-102
Deaf: means :
(a)
if the person is three years of age or older but younger than 22 years of age, having hearing loss, whether permanent or fluctuating, that, even with amplification, adversely affects educational performance or substantially limits one or more major life activities; and
(b)
if the person is younger than three years of age, having hearing loss. See Utah Code 53E-8-102
Educator: means an individual who is:
(a)
licensed by the state board under Section 53E-6-201; or
(b)
credentialed by the governing body of the individual's area of professional practice. See Utah Code 53E-8-102
State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes a state, district, or territory of the United States. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
The state board shall include in its annual budget request for the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind an amount of money sufficient to adjust educators’ salaries as described in Subsection (3) and fund step and lane changes.
(3)
(a)
The state board shall determine the salary adjustment specified in Subsection (2) by:
(i)
calculating a weighted average salary adjustment for nonadministrative licensed staff adopted by the school districts of the state, with the average weighted by the number of teachers in each school district; and
(ii)
increasing the weighted average salary adjustment by 10% in any year in which teachers of the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind are not ranked in the top 10 in 20-year earnings when compared to earnings of teachers in the school districts of the state.
(b)
In calculating a weighted average salary adjustment for nonadministrative licensed staff adopted by the school districts of the state under Subsection (3)(a), the state board shall exclude educator salary adjustments provided pursuant to Section 53F-2-405.
(4)
From money appropriated to the state board for salary adjustments, the state board shall adjust the salary schedule applicable to educators at the school each year.
