§ 16-13-232 — Determining Number of Teacher Units and Instructional Support Units; Grade Level Divisors

(a) In determining the number of teacher units for the purpose of apportioning the state Foundation Program, one teacher unit or fraction thereof shall be allowed for the specified number of pupils in average daily membership as provided for in subsection (b), during the first 20 scholastic days following Labor Day of the preceding school year in the public schools. In extreme circumstances involving natural occurrences, health-related occurrences, or other extenuating circumstances as determined and approved by the State Superintendent of Education, average daily membership for local boards of education may be calculated using alternative days to the first 20 scholastic days following Labor Day. Such alternative calculation shall be determined by the State Department of Education on a case by case basis. If a request from a local board is made to the State Superintendent, the superintendent shall submit a report detailing the decision of the superintendent to the Chair of the Senate Finance and Taxation-Education and the House Education Appropriations Committees and to the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts within 30 days following the end of the average daily membership reporting period. Average daily membership is defined as the average number of students enrolled on a daily basis. Each school, at a minimum, shall earn instructional support units based on the accreditation standards of the commissions which comprise the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or as otherwise required by an accreditation system adopted by the State Board of Education. Instructional support units shall be earned for principals, assistant principals, counselors, and librarians, and shall be added to a school’s teacher units to determine total units earned for each school. Notwithstanding the accreditation standards referenced above, every school shall earn one full-time principal unit beginning with the fiscal year 2008-2009. An instructional support unit earned for a principal shall be increased by a factor of .7 for high schools, unit schools, and area vocational centers; .6 for middle schools; and .5 for elementary schools. An instructional support unit earned for an assistant principal shall be increased by .3; and an instructional support unit earned for a high school guidance counselor shall be increased by .1. Each area vocational center shall earn only one instructional support unit which shall be a principal (director) and shall continue to earn a counselor should it have received a counselor unit in 1994-95. Beginning in the 2009-10 school year, the salary supplement factors for instructional support units, including principals, assistant principals, counselors, and librarians, shall be recommended to the Governor and the Legislature annually by the State Board of Education, but shall not be less than the factors established above. Those local boards of education which show an increase in average daily membership during the first 20 scholastic days following Labor Day of the current year may be allowed one additional teacher unit or fraction thereof for each specified number of pupils in subsection (b) in such increase in average daily membership for such current year. Fractional teacher and instructional support units shall be combined to create whole units. Assignment of whole and fractional teacher and instructional support units shall be made by the local superintendent of education and submitted for approval of the local board of education. Any funds remaining from a fractional teacher and instructional support units that are not combined with and used to make a whole teacher or instructional support unit may be used by the local board of education for salaries and benefits.
(b) The grade level divisors for each fiscal year shall be weighted for each grade to provide funding for special education and vocational education. For the 1995-96 school year the grade level divisors include for special education 5 percent full time equivalent across all grades weighted 2.5 times the regular student weight. For the 1995-96 school year the grade level divisors include for vocational/technical education 7.4 percent full time equivalent in grades 7-8 weighted 1.4 times the regular student weight, and 16.5 percent full time equivalent in grades 9-12 weighted 2.0 times the regular student weight. The weights for special education and vocational education shall be recommended to the Governor and the Legislature annually by the State Board of Education. For the 1995-1996 school year, one teacher unit shall be allowed for each 16 pupils in average daily membership in kindergarten through third grade; one teacher unit shall be allowed for each 24 pupils in average daily membership in grade four through grade six; one teacher unit shall be allowed for each 23 pupils in average daily membership in grade seven through grade eight; and one teacher unit shall be allowed for each 20 pupils in average daily membership in grade nine through grade twelve. Beginning in the 1996-97 school year, the teacher unit divisors shall be recommended to the Governor and the Legislature annually by the State Board of Education, but shall not be higher than the divisors established for the 1995-1996 school year.

Legislative History

(Acts 1995, No. 95-314, p. 634, §3; Act 2005-309, 1st Sp. Sess., p. 624, §1; Act 2007-284, p. 509, §1; Act 2010-556, p. 1129, §1; Act 2011-264, p. 484, §1; Act 2021-166, §1.)