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Senate Education committee sends bill to codify $6,359 career-ladder increase to the Senate floor
Summary
The Senate Education Committee voted to send Senate Bill 10 95 to the Senate floor with a "do pass" recommendation, a bill that would update Title 33 career-ladder tables to reflect a $6,359 increase already applied by prior appropriations actions.
At a Senate Education committee meeting this afternoon, members voted to send Senate Bill 10 95 to the Senate floor with a due-pass recommendation. The bill updates Title 33 career-ladder tables so they reflect a $6,359 increase the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee (JFAC) has already applied in prior appropriations bills.
Senator Jim Woodward, Legislative District 1, who presented the bill, said the legislation "is getting the paperwork caught up with actions taken in previous legislative sessions" and pointed committee members to a one-page summary tied to House Bill 460 that shows the $6,359 difference. Woodward said the change merely aligns statute with appropriations already approved in 2023 and 2024 and is intended to continue that adjustment going forward.
Quinn Perry, deputy director of the Idaho School Boards Association, testified in support and said the change is important for school leaders negotiating with professional staff once school budgets are set. "This is critical for school leaders as we look to begin our negotiations with our professional staff in the coming spring once the public school's budget is set," Perry said. She added that the intent language that added the $6,359 currently expires at the end of each fiscal year, and codifying it in code would provide stability. "I wanted and ensured and advocated for this legislation, in the event that we're all in a plane crash and die," Perry said, arguing the codification would preserve JFAC's prior actions.
Committee members asked about fiscal implications. The fiscal note attached to the bill states there is "no additional funding," and Woodward explained that statement means the $6,359 increment has already been funded in prior budgets and this bill would not change appropriation levels. Senator Ward Engelking, who worked on the education budget, told the committee the $6,359 was intended to be part of teachers' salaries and the career ladder, not a one-time bonus.
With no further testimony, Senator Ward Engelking moved to send the bill to the full Senate with a due-pass recommendation. The motion was seconded; the committee approved it by voice vote with no recorded opposition.
The bill now proceeds to the Senate floor for further consideration.
