Bill > SB201

This bill modifies the minimum salary schedule for certified personnel in Oklahoma public schools, increasing the required minimum salaries across various experience levels and degree qualifications, and it will take effect starting with the 2026-2027 school year. The bill also clarifies that "fringe benefits" include retirement benefits but exclude certain state contributions and flexible benefit allowances, and it outlines notification requirements for school districts if retirement benefits would cause a teacher's salary to fall below the minimum schedule. Additionally, it specifies that degrees must be from state-recognized colleges and allows for the acceptance of out-of-state and out-of-country teaching experience under certain accreditation and evaluation conditions, while also limiting credit for military service and out-of-state/country experience to five years for state purposes. The bill also makes technical updates to language regarding the acceptance of teaching experience from specific institutions like the Department of Defense schools and the Child Study Center, and it explicitly excludes certain administrative and leadership positions from the definition of "certified personnel" for the purposes of this salary schedule. Finally, the bill declares an emergency, meaning it will take effect immediately upon passage and approval, and sets its effective date as July 1, 2026.