Relating to the compensation of public school district employees for additional workdays.
The bill establishes three proposed methods for calculating compensation for additional working days. Compensation must be at least the greater of either the amount deducted for exceeding personal leave, a daily rate derived from the employee's annual salary divided by the number of workdays designated in the calendar, or a rate comparable to reductions outlined in existing statutes. The bill prohibits districts from extending workdays in order to meet these compensation requirements, ensuring additional hours are compensated instead of redistributed within existing schedules.
House Bill 860 seeks to amend the Texas Education Code by establishing regulations related to the compensation of public school district employees for additional workdays. Specifically, it mandates that school districts publish their official calendar by May 1 of each year, clearly outlining the designated workdays for the upcoming school year. In the event that district employees are required to work additional days that are not included in this calendar, the bill stipulates that these employees must be compensated accordingly.
While aimed at enhancing fair compensation for teachers and school employees, there may be contention around how this bill impacts school districts' financial management. Critics might argue that an unfunded mandate could strain the budgets of some districts, especially those already operating under tight financial constraints. There is also potential resistance from district administrations concerned about the logistics of tracking additional workdays and managing salaries in alignment with these new rules.