Section 20-2-186. Allocation of funds for local systems to pay beginning salaries of superintendents, secretaries, accountants, nurses, and certain other personnel; eligibility of failing schools for funds

   (a) Funds provided under this article shall include the following for local systems to pay, on a 12 month basis, the beginning salaries of superintendents, assistant superintendents, and principals and the salaries of secretaries, accountants, and nurses, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly:

   (1) Each local system shall earn, for any number of full-time equivalent students equal to or under 5,000, funds sufficient to pay the beginning salaries of a superintendent and two assistant superintendents and the salaries of a secretary and an accountant; and

   (2) For numbers of full-time equivalent students over 5,000 and less than 10,001, funds sufficient to pay the beginning salaries of a superintendent and four assistant superintendents and the salaries of a secretary and an accountant; and

   (3) For numbers of full-time equivalent students over 10,000, funds sufficient to pay the beginning salaries of a superintendent and eight assistant superintendents and the salaries of a secretary and an accountant; and

   (4) Each local system shall earn funds for the 2000-2001 school year sufficient to pay the beginning salary of a principal for each school in the local school system with a principal of record for the preceding year. Thereafter, each local school system shall earn funds sufficient to pay the beginning salary of a principal for each school in the local school system that reported a principal on the October certified personnel information report; provided, however, that any school which operates as a combination school, which is defined as any of the elementary grades, kindergarten through grade five, contiguous with one or more of the middle grades, grades six through eight; or as a combination school of any of the middle grades, grades six through eight, contiguous with one or more of the elementary grades or contiguous with one or more of the high school grades, grades nine through 12; or as a combination school of any of the high school grades, contiguous with one or more of the middle grades, shall earn funds sufficient to pay the beginning salary of a principal for each of the elementary, middle, or high school combinations. For purposes of this paragraph, "contiguous" means grade levels in sequence, regardless of whether schools operating as a combination school are on the same campus sharing facilities or at different locations. Beginning with the 2001-2002 school year, funds cannot be earned for more than one principal's salary for schools on the same campus sharing facilities unless the schools operate as a combination school as defined in this paragraph with separate facility codes issued by the Department of Education. A local school system shall earn funds in the midterm adjustment sufficient to pay the beginning salary of a principal for a new school, if not otherwise earning the funds, when the school has reported full-time equivalent program counts in the October count, has an approved new school facility code issued by the department, and has reported a principal on the October certified personnel information report under the new facility code. It is further provided that funds for the salary of a principal shall not be earned under this paragraph for an evening school or alternative school; and

   (5) Each local system shall earn funding for one nurse for every 750 full-time equivalent students at the elementary school level and one nurse for every 1,500 full-time equivalent students at the middle and high school levels. Such funding shall have a ratio of one registered professional nurse to five licensed practical nurses. Such funding shall be based on a contract length of 180 days and shall be sufficient to pay 50 percent of the average salary and benefits, as determined by the Department of Education, for a registered professional nurse or for a licensed practical nurse; provided, however, that such amount shall be phased in so that, in Fiscal Year 2013, such amount shall be 40 percent and, in Fiscal Year 2014, such amount shall be 45 percent. Local school systems shall not be required to provide any local matching funds for school nurses to receive funds pursuant to this paragraph. Local school systems that do not meet the minimum full-time equivalent student counts set out in this paragraph shall receive a base amount of funding. Each local school system shall expend 100 percent of the funds earned pursuant to this paragraph for salaries and benefits for school nurses.

(b) All program weights, when multiplied by the base amount, shall reflect sufficient funds to pay the beginning salaries of a visiting teacher using a base size of 2,475 full-time equivalent students, for costs of operating an administrative office for certain local school systems as deemed warranted by the department, and for workers' compensation and employment security payments for personnel at the central office, school, and program levels, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly. Further, the program weights for all special education programs pursuant to Code Section 20-2-152, when multiplied by the base amount, shall reflect sufficient funds to pay the beginning salaries of special education leadership personnel essential and necessary for the effective operation of such programs in a base size local school system. Further, the program weights for all programs, when multiplied by the base amount, shall reflect sufficient funds to pay the beginning salaries of school psychologists and psychometrists essential and necessary for the effective operation of such programs in a local school system using a base size of 2,475 full-time equivalent students, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly; provided, however, that beginning with Fiscal Year 2016, such base size shall be 2,420 full-time equivalent students.

(c) Notwithstanding any provision of this Code section to the contrary, no local system shall earn funds under this Code section, except for funds for nurses, accountants, visiting teachers, school psychologists, and secretaries, if the local board of education has not implemented in a failing school within the system the interventions, as defined in Code Section 20-14-41, that are prescribed by the State Board of Education.

Code 1981, § 20-2-186, enacted by Ga. L. 1985, p. 1657, § 1; Ga. L. 1987, p. 1169, § 1; Ga. L. 1990, p. 847, § 5; Ga. L. 1993, p. 1667, § 2; Ga. L. 1995, p. 701, § 3; Ga. L. 2000, p. 618, § 29; Ga. L. 2012, p. 372, § 1/SB 403; Ga. L. 2013, p. 1061, § 14/HB 283.