Section 20-2-186 - [Effective 7/1/2025] 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) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) 'Local charter school' shall have the same meaning as in Code Section 20-2-2062.(2) 'Local education agency' means any local school system, any charter school subject to the provisions of Article 31 or 31A of this chapter, and any completion special school subject to the provisions of Article 31C of this chapter, except this shall not include local charter schools or system charter schools, as such terms are defined in Code Section 20-2-2062, or college and career academies that are charter schools.(3) 'State charter school' shall have the same meaning as in Code Section 20-2-2081.(b) Funds provided under this article shall include the following for local education agencies 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 education agency 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 education agency 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 education agency 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 education agency 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.(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b) of this Code section regarding the number of and the funding earned for superintendents and principals: (1) Each state charter school shall earn, for any number of full-time equivalent students over 1,000, funds sufficient to pay the beginning salary of one superintendent;(2) Each local charter school and state charter school that reported a principal on the October certified personnel information report and serves students in any of grades kindergarten through grade eight shall earn funds sufficient to pay the beginning salary of one principal for every 300 full-time equivalent students; provided, however, that no such school shall earn such funds for more than two principals; and(3) Each local charter school and state charter school shall earn funds sufficient to pay the beginning salary of one principal for each school that reported a principal on the October certified personnel information report and serves grades nine through 12.(d) 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.(e) Notwithstanding any provision of this Code section to the contrary, no local education agency 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 or other public school governing body 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.Amended by 2024 Ga. Laws 460,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2025.Amended by 2015 Ga. Laws 24,§ 4, eff. on January 1, 2017, only if an amendment to the Constitution is ratified at the November, 2016, general election expressly allowing the General Assembly to authorize the establishment of an Opportunity School District to provide for state intervention for failing schools.Amended by 2013 Ga. Laws 335,§ 14, eff. 7/1/2013.Amended by 2012 Ga. Laws 621,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2012.This section is set out more than once due to postponed, multiple, or conflicting amendments.