HF 3119

as introduced - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026) Posted on 04/07/2025 03:06pm

A bill for an act
relating to education finance; establishing minimum compensation for teachers
and certain other school staff; establishing aid programs to support teacher base
compensation and unlicensed staff wage requirements; requiring a report; proposing
coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 122A.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

new text begin [122A.418] COMPENSATION FOR TEACHERS AND OTHER
UNLICENSED SCHOOL STAFF.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin (a) For the purposes of this section, the terms defined in this
subdivision have the meanings given, unless another meaning is clearly indicated.
new text end

new text begin (b) "Base teacher compensation" means annual base salary, exclusive of fringe benefits.
new text end

new text begin (c) "Covered unlicensed staff member" means an employee of a school district, charter
school, intermediate school district, cooperative unit under section 123A.24, subdivision
2, the Perpich Center for Arts Education, or the Minnesota State Academies who:
new text end

new text begin (1) works at least 14 hours per week for at least 100 days in a school year in one position;
new text end

new text begin (2) is not required to hold a license issued by the Professional Educator Licensing and
Standards Board or the Board of School Administrators; and
new text end

new text begin (3) regularly interacts with students as part of their job duties.
new text end

new text begin (d) "Full-time equivalent teacher" means a licensed teacher who is contracted to work
the lesser of either (1) the number of hours classified as full-time employment in the
collective bargaining agreement that applies to teachers, or (2) 182 days in a school year,
and is employed by a school district, charter school, intermediate school district, cooperative
unit under section 123A.24, subdivision 2, the Perpich Center for Arts Education, or the
Minnesota State Academies.
new text end

new text begin (e) "Teacher compensation threshold" for the 2026-2027 school year means: (1) $80,000
for a full-time equivalent teacher who holds a master's degree and has been employed as a
licensed teacher in Minnesota; (2) $100,000 for a full-time equivalent teacher who holds a
master's degree and has been employed as a licensed teacher for at least ten years; and (3)
$60,000 for a full-time equivalent teacher who does not meet the criteria under clause (1).
For the 2027-2028 school year and later, the thresholds must be periodically adjusted as
provided under subdivision 2. Base compensation must be prorated based on the portion of
a full-time equivalent position an employee is contracted to work.
new text end

new text begin (f) "Unlicensed staff wage threshold" for the 2026-2027 school year means $25 per hour.
For the 2027-2028 school year and later, the threshold must be periodically adjusted as
provided under subdivision 2.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Inflationary adjustment to compensation and wage thresholds. new text end

new text begin (a) The
compensation and wage thresholds must be periodically adjusted for inflation as provided
under this subdivision. The adjusted thresholds become effective on the July 1 following
the commissioner's publication of each adjustment.
new text end

new text begin (b) On January 15, 2030, and every four years thereafter, the commissioner of education
must calculate and publish adjusted compensation and wage thresholds. The thresholds
must be increased by the greater of zero or the rate of change in inflation equal to the change
in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers as published by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the Department of Labor for the average of the fourth calendar quarter of fiscal
year 2025 compared to the average of the fourth calendar quarter of the immediately prior
fiscal year.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Base compensation. new text end

new text begin Beginning on July 1, 2026, the base teacher compensation
for a full-time equivalent teacher must not be less than the teacher compensation threshold
applicable to the teacher for that school year.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Bargaining. new text end

new text begin This section does not modify a district's obligation to collectively
bargain with the exclusive representative for teachers and other educators.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Base teacher compensation aid. new text end

new text begin (a) For fiscal year 2027 and later, a school
district, charter school, intermediate school district, or cooperative unit under section
123A.24, subdivision 2, is eligible for base teacher compensation aid.
new text end

new text begin (b) The aid for each district equals the sum of the amounts calculated under paragraph
(c).
new text end

new text begin (c) For each teacher employed by the district on September 1, 2025, the commissioner
must calculate the difference between: (1) the teacher compensation threshold applicable
to the teacher for the 2026-2027 school year; and (2) the teacher's base compensation as of
September 1, 2025. The amount calculated for a teacher under this paragraph must not be
less than zero.
new text end

new text begin (d) The commissioner must recalculate each district's base teacher compensation aid
upon each inflationary adjustment of the compensation thresholds.
new text end

new text begin (e) Aid under this subdivision must be reserved to pay teacher compensation.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Unlicensed staff minimum wage. new text end

new text begin Beginning on July 1, 2026, notwithstanding
any law to the contrary, a school district or charter school must pay every covered unlicensed
staff member wages at a rate at least equal to the unlicensed staff wage threshold for that
school year.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Aid for unlicensed staff wages. new text end

new text begin (a) For fiscal year 2027 and later, a school
district, charter school, intermediate school district, or cooperative unit under section
123A.24, subdivision 2, is eligible for aid for unlicensed staff wages.
new text end

new text begin (b) The aid for each district equals the sum of the amounts calculated under paragraph
(c).
new text end

new text begin (c) For each covered unlicensed staff member employed by the district on September
1, 2025, the commissioner must calculate the difference between: (1) the unlicensed staff
wage threshold for the 2026-2027 school year; and (2) the covered staff member's hourly
wage as of September 1, 2025. The amount calculated for a covered staff member under
this paragraph must not be less than zero.
new text end

new text begin (d) The commissioner must recalculate each district's aid for unlicensed staff wages
upon each inflationary adjustment of the wage threshold.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2025.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin REPORT ON SCHOOL HOURLY WORKERS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board must
submit a report on hourly worker compensation to the legislative committees with jurisdiction
over kindergarten through grade 12 education policy and finance by January 15, 2026. The
report must be submitted in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, section 3.195.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin (a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the
meanings given.
new text end

new text begin (b) "Hourly worker" means an employee of a school employer who:
new text end

new text begin (1) works at least 14 hours per week for at least 100 days in a school year in one position;
new text end

new text begin (2) is not required to hold a license issued by the Professional Educator Licensing and
Standards Board or the Board of School Administrators; and
new text end

new text begin (3) regularly interacts with students as part of the employee's job duties.
new text end

new text begin (c) "Major job class" means the following classifications of hourly workers:
new text end

new text begin (1) special education paraprofessionals;
new text end

new text begin (2) other paraprofessionals;
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new text begin (3) food services;
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new text begin (4) transportation;
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new text begin (5) clerical;
new text end

new text begin (6) operating and maintenance; and
new text end

new text begin (7) all other classifications.
new text end

new text begin (d) "School employer" means a school district, charter school, intermediate school
district, cooperative unit under section 123A.24, subdivision 2, the Perpich Center for Arts
Education, or the Minnesota State Academies.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Data required. new text end

new text begin The report must contain the following information for each
school employer for the 2024-2025 school year:
new text end

new text begin (1) the number of hourly workers employed;
new text end

new text begin (2) average hourly wage by major job class;
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new text begin (3) the number of vacancies the school employer advertised at the beginning of the
school year and the number of positions filled during the school year, by job class;
new text end

new text begin (4) the school employer contribution for health insurance for hourly workers;
new text end

new text begin (5) the hourly worker contribution for health insurance; and
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new text begin (6) the number of hourly workers on the employer's health insurance.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2025.
new text end