A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to study the establishing and funding of a teacher assistant salary schedule and to appropriate funds for that purpose.
Whereas, teacher assistants are valuable members of public school personnel; and
Whereas, the pay of teacher assistants is not commensurate with the federal poverty level; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  The Department of Public Instruction shall contract with a third party to study the feasibility and advisability of establishing, funding, and implementing a salary schedule for teacher assistants in this State.  As part of the study, consideration shall be given to establishing:
(1)	A 15‑step salary schedule where movement is based on years of experience.
(2)	The minimum annual salary for teacher assistants as sixteen thousand five hundred dollars ($16,500).
(3)	A three percent (3%) difference between each step on the salary schedule.
SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the sum of twenty‑five thousand dollars ($25,000) for the 2005‑2006 fiscal year to contract with a third party to conduct the study mandated by Section 1 of this act.
SECTION 3.  The Department of Public Instruction shall report the findings and results of the study required by this act, including any legislative recommendation or proposal, to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by March 1, 2006.
SECTION 4.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2005.