Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1272
By Senator Davis
5-01495A-26 20261272__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to instructional personnel and school
3 administrator salaries; providing a short title;
4 amending s. 1011.62, F.S.; increasing the minimum base
5 salary for certain teachers; revising the purpose of
6 the salary increase for classroom teachers and other
7 instructional personnel; revising requirements for
8 funding for the increase; revising the definition of
9 the term “minimum base salary”; revising the
10 requirements for specified school district reporting
11 requirements beginning on a specified date; requiring
12 school districts to provide a specified plan to the
13 Department of Education beginning on a specified date;
14 providing requirements for the plan; providing charter
15 school requirements relating to such plan; requiring
16 the department to establish and oversee a phased
17 implementation of specified requirements; providing
18 requirements for such implementation; requiring the
19 department to provide specified grants to certain
20 school districts and charter schools for specified
21 purposes; amending s. 1012.22, F.S.; providing
22 requirements for school districts relating to salary
23 structures and schedules; requiring that performance
24 salary schedules include step-based salary increases
25 and compression relief supplements; providing
26 requirements for such increases and supplements;
27 providing that certain duties qualify as additional
28 academic responsibilities; conforming a cross
29 reference; providing an effective date.
30
31 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
32
33 Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Save Our Teachers
34 Act.”
35 Section 2. Subsection (14) of section 1011.62, Florida
36 Statutes, is amended to read:
37 1011.62 Funds for operation of schools.—If the annual
38 allocation from the Florida Education Finance Program to each
39 district for operation of schools is not determined in the
40 annual appropriations act or the substantive bill implementing
41 the annual appropriations act, it shall be determined as
42 follows:
43 (14) CLASSROOM TEACHER AND OTHER INSTRUCTIONAL PERSONNEL
44 SALARY INCREASE.—
45 (a) The Legislature shall annually apportion an amount of
46 funds provided in the Florida Education Finance Program to:
47 1. Assist school districts and charter schools in their
48 compliance with the requirement that the minimum base salary for
49 full-time classroom teachers, as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a),
50 and certified prekindergarten teachers funded in the Florida
51 Education Finance Program is at least $65,000 $47,500 or to
52 provide salary increases to instructional personnel, as defined
53 in s. 1012.01(2)(a)-(d), in a manner that best meets the needs
54 of the school district or charter school.
55 2. Assist with school districts and charter schools in
56 addressing salary compression pursuant to this subsection and s.
57 1012.22(1)(c).
58 3. Provide funding for an annual cost-of-living adjustment
59 and longevity pay for experienced teachers.
60 (b) This subsection does not apply to substitute teachers.
61 The amount and distribution methodology for the funding shall be
62 specified in the General Appropriations Act, including a
63 methodology that accounts for the number of experienced teachers
64 and their years of service. The allocation must be sufficient to
65 adjust the entire salary schedule.
66 (c)(a) The term “minimum base salary” means the lowest
67 annual base salary reported on the salary schedule for a full
68 time classroom teacher, with additional considerations for
69 regional economic conditions and salary progression for
70 experienced classroom teachers. A full-time classroom teacher
71 may not receive a salary less than the minimum base salary as
72 adjusted by this subsection.
73 (d)(b) A school district or charter school shall maintain
74 the minimum base salary achieved for classroom teachers provided
75 in the prior fiscal year and may not reduce the salary increases
76 in any subsequent fiscal year.
77 (e)(c) Before distributing any additional funds received
78 over the prior fiscal year, each school district and each
79 charter school shall develop a salary distribution plan that
80 clearly delineates the planned distribution of funds in
81 accordance with modified salary schedules, as necessary, for the
82 implementation of this subsection.
83 1. Each school district superintendent and each charter
84 school administrator must submit its proposed salary
85 distribution plan to the district school board or the charter
86 school governing body, as appropriate, for approval.
87 2. Each school district shall submit the approved district
88 salary distribution plan and the approved salary distribution
89 plan for each charter school in the district to the department
90 by October 1 of each fiscal year.
91 (f)1.(d) Beginning August 1, 2026 2024, and each year
92 thereafter, in a format specified by the department, each school
93 district shall provide a report to the department that includes
94 a detailed summary explaining the school district’s prior year’s
95 expenditures pursuant to this subsection. The report must
96 include:
97 a. The amount of the increase to the minimum base salary
98 for classroom teachers and the school district’s salary schedule
99 for the prior fiscal year and the fiscal year in which the base
100 salary is increased.
101 b. The use of supplemental funds from state teacher
102 compensation grants established under paragraph (i), if
103 applicable, and the outcomes of efforts to address pay
104 compression.
105 c. District-specific progress as determined under the
106 department’s phased implementation plan pursuant to paragraph
107 (h).
108 2. Each charter school governing board shall submit the
109 information required under this subparagraph to the district
110 school board for inclusion in the school district’s report to
111 the department.
112 (g)(e) Although district school boards and charter school
113 governing boards are not precluded from bargaining over wages,
114 the classroom teacher and other instructional personnel salary
115 increase must be used solely to comply with the requirements of
116 this subsection. A district school board or charter school
117 governing board that is unable to meet the reporting
118 requirements in paragraph (f) (d) due to a collective bargaining
119 impasse must provide written notification to the department or
120 the district school board, as applicable, detailing the reasons
121 for the impasse with a proposed timeline and details for a
122 resolution.
123 (h)1. Beginning August 1, 2026, and each year thereafter,
124 in a format prescribed by the department, each school district
125 shall provide to the department a localized salary adjustment
126 plan to address pay compression and provide equitable
127 compensation to experienced teachers while considering the
128 unique economic condition and fiscal capacity of the school
129 district. The plan must include the following:
130 a. The step-based salary increases included in the school
131 district’s performance-based salary schedule.
132 b. An analysis of the school district’s economic conditions
133 and the district’s plan to adjust salary schedules and salary
134 increases accordingly to reflect differences in the local cost
135 of living, property tax revenue, and state funding allocations.
136 c. Any state-level support provided to the district to help
137 address pay compression.
138 2. Each charter school governing board shall submit to the
139 district school board the information required under
140 subparagraph 1. for inclusion in the school district’s plan.
141 3. The department shall establish and oversee a phased
142 implementation of the requirements of this paragraph and
143 paragraph (i). The phased implementation must:
144 a. Prioritize smaller school districts and charter schools
145 and those with the greatest financial need or teacher retention
146 challenges in the initial phase.
147 b. Establish a timeline to phase in the requirements of
148 this paragraph to larger school districts.
149 c. Ensure that the requirements of this paragraph are fully
150 implemented by the 2030-2031 school year.
151 d. Include an annual needs assessment for each school
152 district and charter school to determine funding priorities and
153 adjust the phased timeline as necessary.
154 e. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
155 contrary, coordinate the integration of funding sources to meet
156 the requirements of this subsection and s. 1012.22(1)(c),
157 including:
158 (I) Redirected lottery revenue.
159 (II) Public-private partnerships.
160 (III) Administrative efficiency savings.
161 (IV) Grants and tourism-linked revenue.
162 4. The department shall require school districts and
163 charter schools to annually report on the impacts of the plan
164 under subparagraph 1. and use the data from such reports to
165 refine its implementation strategy.
166 (i) The department shall provide state teacher compensation
167 grants to smaller school districts and charter schools that have
168 limited financial resources for the purpose of supplementing
169 local budgets to help such school districts and charter schools
170 meet pay differential goals without compromising other essential
171 services.
172 Section 3. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) and paragraph
173 (b) of subsection (3) of section 1012.22, Florida Statutes, are
174 amended to read:
175 1012.22 Public school personnel; powers and duties of the
176 district school board.—The district school board shall:
177 (1) Designate positions to be filled, prescribe
178 qualifications for those positions, and provide for the
179 appointment, compensation, promotion, suspension, and dismissal
180 of employees as follows, subject to the requirements of this
181 chapter:
182 (c) Compensation and salary schedules.—
183 1. Definitions.—As used in this paragraph:
184 a. “Adjustment” means an addition to the base salary
185 schedule that is not a bonus and becomes part of the employee’s
186 permanent base salary and shall be considered compensation under
187 s. 121.021(22).
188 b. “Grandfathered salary schedule” means the salary
189 schedule or schedules adopted by a district school board before
190 July 1, 2014, pursuant to subparagraph 4.
191 c. “Instructional personnel” means instructional personnel
192 as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a)-(d), excluding substitute
193 teachers.
194 d. “Performance salary schedule” means the salary schedule
195 or schedules adopted by a district school board pursuant to
196 subparagraph 5.
197 e. “Salary schedule” means the schedule or schedules used
198 to provide the base salary for district school board personnel.
199 f. “School administrator” means a school administrator as
200 defined in s. 1012.01(3)(c).
201 g. “Supplement” means an annual addition to the base salary
202 for the term of the negotiated supplement as long as the
203 employee continues his or her employment for the purpose of the
204 supplement. A supplement does not become part of the employee’s
205 continuing base salary but shall be considered compensation
206 under s. 121.021(22).
207 2. Cost-of-living adjustment.—A district school board may
208 provide a cost-of-living salary adjustment if the adjustment:
209 a. Does not discriminate among comparable classes of
210 employees based upon the salary schedule under which they are
211 compensated.
212 b. Does not exceed 50 percent of the annual adjustment
213 provided to instructional personnel rated as effective.
214 3. Advanced degrees.—A district school board may use
215 advanced degrees in setting a salary schedule for instructional
216 personnel or school administrators if the advanced degree is
217 held in the individual’s area of certification.
218 4. Grandfathered salary schedule.—
219 a. The district school board shall adopt a salary schedule
220 or salary schedules to be used as the basis for paying all
221 school employees hired before July 1, 2014. Instructional
222 personnel on annual contract as of July 1, 2014, shall be placed
223 on the performance salary schedule adopted under subparagraph 5.
224 Instructional personnel on continuing contract or professional
225 service contract may opt into the performance salary schedule if
226 the employee relinquishes such contract and agrees to be
227 employed on an annual contract under s. 1012.335. Such an
228 employee shall be placed on the performance salary schedule and
229 may not return to continuing contract or professional service
230 contract status. Any employee who opts into the performance
231 salary schedule may not return to the grandfathered salary
232 schedule.
233 b. In determining the grandfathered salary schedule for
234 instructional personnel, a district school board must base a
235 portion of each employee’s compensation upon performance
236 demonstrated under s. 1012.34 and shall provide differentiated
237 pay for both instructional personnel and school administrators
238 based upon district-determined factors, including, but not
239 limited to, additional responsibilities, school demographics,
240 high-demand teacher needs areas, and level of job performance
241 difficulties.
242 5. Performance salary schedule.—By July 1, 2014, the
243 district school board shall adopt a performance salary schedule
244 that provides annual salary adjustments for instructional
245 personnel and school administrators based upon performance
246 determined under s. 1012.34. Employees hired on or after July 1,
247 2014, or employees who choose to move from the grandfathered
248 salary schedule to the performance salary schedule shall be
249 compensated pursuant to the performance salary schedule once
250 they have received the appropriate performance evaluation for
251 this purpose. Each school district shall ensure that salary
252 structures promote fairness and livable wages while adapting to
253 local economic factors. Each school district shall collaborate
254 with local stakeholders, including classroom teachers and
255 community representatives, to ensure the performance salary
256 schedule addresses regional disparities and teacher retention. A
257 school district may not unilaterally implement changes to the
258 performance salary schedule which exacerbate salary inequities
259 for instructional personnel or school administrators and shall,
260 during any collective bargaining negotiations of salary
261 schedules, tailor solutions to the needs of instructional
262 personnel and school administrators.
263 a. Base salary.—The base salary shall be established as
264 follows:
265 (I) The base salary for instructional personnel or school
266 administrators who opt into the performance salary schedule
267 shall be the salary paid in the prior year, including
268 adjustments only.
269 (II) Instructional personnel or school administrators new
270 to the district, returning to the district after a break in
271 service without an authorized leave of absence, or appointed for
272 the first time to a position in the district in the capacity of
273 instructional personnel or school administrator shall be placed
274 on the performance salary schedule.
275 b. Step-based salary increases.—Step-based salary increases
276 shall be established within the performance-based salary
277 schedule to offer consistent and predictable salary increases
278 based on the years of experience of instructional personnel or
279 school administrators. Such increases must be higher for the
280 instructional personnel and school administrators with more
281 years of experience and must align with the school district’s
282 fiscal capacity, cost of living, and teacher retention needs and
283 meet the following minimum requirements:
284 (I) For instructional personnel or school administrators
285 with at least 5 years of experience but not more than 10 years
286 of experience with the school district, a minimum pay increase
287 of $1,500 per year.
288 (II) For instructional personnel or school administrators
289 with at least 10 years of experience but not more than 20 years
290 of experience with the school district, a minimum pay increase
291 of $2,000 per year.
292 (III) For instructional personnel or school administrators
293 with at least 20 years of experience with the school district, a
294 minimum pay increase of $3,000 per year.
295 c.b. Salary adjustments.—Salary adjustments for highly
296 effective or effective performance shall be established as
297 follows:
298 (I) The annual salary adjustment under the performance
299 salary schedule for an employee rated as highly effective must
300 be at least 25 percent greater than the highest annual salary
301 adjustment available to an employee of the same classification
302 through any other salary schedule adopted by the district.
303 (II) The annual salary adjustment under the performance
304 salary schedule for an employee rated as effective must be equal
305 to at least 50 percent and no more than 75 percent of the annual
306 adjustment provided for a highly effective employee of the same
307 classification.
308 (III) A salary schedule shall not provide an annual salary
309 adjustment for an employee who receives a rating other than
310 highly effective or effective for the year.
311 d.c. Salary supplements.—In addition to the salary
312 adjustments, each district school board shall provide for salary
313 supplements for activities that must include, but are not
314 limited to:
315 (I) Assignment to a Title I eligible school.
316 (II) Assignment to a school that earned a grade of “F” or
317 three consecutive grades of “D” pursuant to s. 1008.34 such that
318 the supplement remains in force for at least 1 year following
319 improved performance in that school.
320 (III) Certification and teaching in high-demand teacher
321 needs areas. Statewide high-demand teacher needs areas shall be
322 identified by the State Board of Education under s. 1012.07.
323 However, the district school board may identify other areas of
324 high-demand needs within the school district for purposes of
325 this sub-sub-subparagraph and may remove areas identified by the
326 state board which do not apply within the school district.
327 (IV) Assignment of additional academic responsibilities,
328 including as a department chair, an instructional coach, or a
329 mentor to instructional personnel.
330 e. Compression relief supplements.—
331 (I) In addition to the salary adjustments and step-based
332 salary increases, each district school board shall provide for a
333 compression relief supplement for experienced instructional
334 personnel and school administrators. Such supplements may be a
335 one-time supplement that occurs when instructional personnel or
336 school administrators reach a specified number of years of
337 employment with the school district or may be recurring
338 increases for instructional personnel and school administrators
339 who reach specified years of employment with the school
340 district.
341 (II) The Department of Education shall provide school
342 districts with guidelines for the equitable implementation of
343 compression relief supplements. Each school district shall
344 annually conduct an audit of its performance salary schedule to
345 identify and address salary compression issues.
346 f. Retention incentives for experienced instructional
347 personnel.—Each district school board shall provide a retention
348 incentive for instructional personnel with significant years of
349 service with the district. Such incentives must be awarded as
350 follows:
351 (I) Instructional personnel who have at least 10 years of
352 service but less than 20 years of service shall be awarded an
353 incentive of $5,000.
354 (II) Instructional personnel who have at least 20 years of
355 service with the school district shall be awarded an incentive
356 of $10,000.
357
358 If budget constraints in any given year limit a district school
359 board’s ability to fully fund all adopted salary schedules, the
360 performance salary schedule shall not be reduced on the basis of
361 total cost or the value of individual awards in a manner that is
362 proportionally greater than reductions to any other salary
363 schedules adopted by the district. Any compensation for
364 longevity of service awarded to instructional personnel who are
365 on any other salary schedule must be included in calculating the
366 salary adjustments required by sub-subparagraph b.
367 (3)
368 (b) Appearances before the board.—If a district school
369 superintendent appears before the state board to provide an
370 update under s. 1011.62(14)(g) s. 1011.62(14)(e), the state
371 board must require that the president of the collective
372 bargaining unit that represents the school district also must
373 appear.
374 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.