S382 - Disaster Relief-3/Budget/Various Law Changes. (SL 2024-57)

Session Year 2024

Overview: Section 3J.16 of S.L. 2024‑57 modifies and recodifies the Advanced Teaching Roles (ATR) program. The ATR program develops advanced teaching roles and organizational models that link teacher performance and professional development to salary increases for classroom teachers in selected local school administrative units (LEAs). LEAs can submit proposals to the State Board of Education (SBE) to participate in the ATR program and receive budget flexibility. Participating LEAs (ATR units) can receive grants to support the implementation of the program for up to two three‑year terms, during which time the units also receive class size flexibility. Additionally, ATR units can receive funding for ATR salary supplements for certain designated teachers.

This section includes the following changes to the ATR program:

  • Limits advanced teaching roles to teachers who provide instruction directly to students or are otherwise accountable for student performance.
  • Establishes earlier Request for Proposal (RFP), submission, and selection deadlines for new LEAs to participate in the ATR program.
  • Removes the 30% cap on salary supplements provided to ATR teachers.
  • Limits how fast an ATR unit can expand to (i) no more than 5% of teachers or 25% of schools within the first year and (ii) no more than 10% of teachers or 50% of schools in years two and three.
  • Modifies the requirements related to how the SBE must review ATR units every five years.
  • Requires the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to provide guidance and support to ATR units when needed.
  • Allows ATR grant funds to not revert until October 1 of the subsequent fiscal year.
  • Clarifies that if State funds are insufficient to cover the full amount of ATR salary supplements designated by law, the SBE and ATR unit must disburse any supplement funds pro rata. If those funds have been disbursed pro rata, the ATR units are encouraged but not required to fund the remainder of the supplement from alternate funding sources.

Additionally, this section requires DPI to study the feasibility of measuring class size by student‑to‑teacher ratio and report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee no later than March 15, 2025.

The current ATR statutes are repealed effective July 1, 2025. The remainder of the provisions became effective December 11, 2024, and the modifications apply beginning with the 2025‑2026 school year. This bill was vetoed by the Governor on November 26, 2024, and that veto was overridden by the General Assembly on December 11, 2024.

Additional Information: