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Senate Education Committee advances bill to codify $6,359 career-ladder increase for school staff
Summary
The Senate Education Committee voted to send Senate Bill 10 95 to the Senate floor with a due-pass recommendation. The measure updates Title 33 to reflect a $6,359 career-ladder increase that JFAC approved in prior sessions; committee testimony said the change merely codifies prior appropriations and does not require new funding.
The Senate Education Committee voted to send Senate Bill 10 95 to the Senate floor with a due-pass recommendation, advancing legislation that updates Title 33 to reflect a $6,359 increase to the career-ladder amount used in public school staff compensation.
Senator Jim Woodward, Legislative District 1, told the committee he filed the bill to "get the paperwork caught up with actions taken in previous legislative sessions," saying the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee previously authorized the $6,359 increase and the bill aligns code with those appropriations.
Quinn Perry, deputy director of the Idaho School Boards Association, testified in support and said the measure "is just reflecting an item, that has already happened and we're reflecting in the code." Perry told the committee the intent language that added the $6,359 "actually expires at the end of every fiscal year," and codifying the amount will provide stability for school leaders during spring contract negotiations.
Committee members asked about the fiscal note statement that the bill requires "no additional funding." Senator Zito raised concerns about seeing "no fiscal note when it has money in it." Woodward and Senator Ward Engelking responded that the bill does not increase funding beyond amounts already appropriated in 2023 and 2024 and is intended to make the appropriation permanent in code rather than a one-time or expiring item. Engelking added the $6,359 "was always intended to be part of teachers' salaries. It wasn't a one time bonus. It was always intended to be that $6,359 was intended to be part of the teacher salary and career ladder."
After testimony and brief committee discussion, Senator Ward Engelking moved that the committee send Senate Bill 10 95 to the Senate floor with a due-pass recommendation; the motion was seconded and the committee chair called the voice vote. The minutes show the committee voted in favor and the bill was advanced.
Votes at a glance - Approval of committee minutes for Feb. 11, 2025: Motion moved and seconded; approved by voice vote. (Record: moved; seconded; no opposition recorded.) - Senate Bill 10 95 — send to Senate floor with due-pass recommendation: Motion moved by Senator Ward Engelking; seconded; approved by voice vote. (No opposition recorded.)
The committee concluded its business and recessed; no further action on the bill was recorded in this transcript. Quinn Perry said the codification will help appropriators and school districts "accurately reflect the increase to public schools budget based on CEC."
