Education Code § 21.402

Sec. 21.402. MINIMUM SALARY SCHEDULE FOR CERTAIN PROFESSIONAL STAFF. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (e-1) or (f), a school district must pay each classroom teacher, full-time librarian, full-time school counselor certified under Subchapter B, or full-time school nurse not less than the minimum monthly salary, based on the employee's level of experience in addition to other factors, as determined by commissioner rule, determined by the following formula: MS = SF x FS where: "MS" is the minimum monthly salary; "SF" is the applicable salary factor specified by Subsection (c); and "FS" is the amount, as determined by the commissioner under Subsection (b), of the basic allotment as provided by Section 48.051(a) or (b) for a school district with a maintenance and operations tax rate at least equal to the state maximum compressed tax rate, as defined by Section 48.051(a). (b) Not later than June 1 of each year, the commissioner shall determine the basic allotment and resulting monthly salaries to be paid by school districts as provided by Subsection (a). (c) The salary factors per step are as follows: Years Experience01234Salary Factor.5464.5582.5698.5816.6064Years Experience56789Salary Factor.6312.6560.6790.7008.7214Years Experience1011121314Salary Factor.7408.7592.7768.7930.8086Years Experience1516171819Salary Factor.8232.8372.8502.8626.8744Years Experience20 and overSalary Factor.8854(c-1) Notwithstanding Subsections (a) and (b), each school district shall pay a monthly salary to each classroom teacher, full-time speech pathologist, full-time librarian, full-time school counselor certified under Subchapter B, and full-time school nurse that is at least equal to the following monthly salary or the monthly salary determined by the commissioner under Subsections (a) and (b), whichever is greater: Years of MonthlyExperience Salary0 2,7321 2,7912 2,8493 2,9084 3,0325 3,1566 3,2807 3,3958 3,5049 3,60710 3,70411 3,79612 3,88413 3,96514 4,04315 4,11616 4,18617 4,25118 4,31319 4,37220 & Over 4,427(c-2) Repealed by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 4, Sec. 57.31(1), eff. September 28, 2011. (c-3) Repealed by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 4, Sec. 57.31(1), eff. September 28, 2011. (d) Repealed by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 8, Sec. 21(2), eff. September 28, 2011. (e) Repealed by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 4, Sec. 57.31(1), eff. September 28, 2011. (e-1) If the minimum monthly salary determined under Subsection (a) for a particular level of experience is less than the minimum monthly salary for that level of experience in the preceding year, the minimum monthly salary is the minimum monthly salary for the preceding year. (f) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a teacher or librarian who received a career ladder supplement on August 31, 1993, is entitled to at least the same gross monthly salary the teacher or librarian received for the 1994-1995 school year as long as the teacher or librarian is employed by the same district. (f-1) A school district must pay to a classroom teacher with zero years of experience who holds a certificate under Section 21.0412(a)(1), (2), or (3) a minimum salary that is greater than the minimum salary paid to a classroom teacher with zero years of experience who does not hold a certificate under Section 21.0412(a)(1), (2), or (3). (f-2) The board of trustees of a school district may adopt minimum salaries to satisfy the requirements of Subsection (f-1) as follows: (1) for a classroom teacher who holds a standard certificate or intern with preservice experience certificate under Section 21.0412(a)(1) or (3), $3,000; and (2) for a classroom teacher who holds an enhanced standard certificate under Section 21.0412(a)(2), $6,000. (f-3) Subsection (f-1) does not apply to a stipend or other form of compensation not included in a classroom teacher's minimum salary under this section. (f-4) A school district may not adopt a salary schedule that differentiates classroom teacher salaries based solely on a teacher's certification pathway for teachers who have five or more years of teaching experience. (g) The commissioner may adopt rules to govern the application of this section, including rules that: (1) require the payment of a minimum salary under this section to a person employed in more than one capacity for which a minimum salary is provided and whose combined employment in those capacities constitutes full-time employment; and (2) specify the credentials a person must hold to be considered a speech pathologist or school nurse under this section. (h) In this section, "gross monthly salary" must include the amount a teacher or librarian received that represented a career ladder salary supplement under Section 16.057, as that section existed January 1, 1993. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 592, Sec. 1.06, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 396, Sec. 1.30, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1156, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1187, Sec. 2.01, eff. Sept. 1, 2001. Amended by: Acts 2006, 79th Leg., 3rd C.S., Ch. 5 (H.B. 1), Sec. 4.05, eff. May 31, 2006. Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1328 (H.B. 3646), Sec. 9, eff. September 1, 2009. Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 4 (S.B. 1), Sec. 57.04, eff. September 28, 2011. Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 4 (S.B. 1), Sec. 57.05, eff. September 1, 2017. Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 4 (S.B. 1), Sec. 57.31(1), eff. September 28, 2011. Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 8 (S.B. 8), Sec. 15, eff. September 28, 2011. Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 8 (S.B. 8), Sec. 21(2), eff. September 28, 2011. Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 443 (S.B. 715), Sec. 11, eff. June 14, 2013. Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 443 (S.B. 715), Sec. 12, eff. June 14, 2013. Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 443 (S.B. 715), Sec. 13, eff. June 14, 2013. Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 943 (H.B. 3), Sec. 3.014, eff. September 1, 2019. Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1065 (H.B. 2), Sec. 2.14, eff. June 20, 2025.