House Bill 544 Summary

• Amends definitions in Idaho Code Section 33-1001 to revise educational terminology and make technical corrections to definitions related to administrative staff, at-risk students, and career ladder compensation rungs.

• Modifies Section 33-1004B to allow out-of-state certified instructional and pupil service staff to be placed on Idaho's career ladder based on their years of experience and performance criteria, without requiring them to start at the entry level.

• Updates Section 33-1201A to clarify professional and advanced professional endorsement eligibility requirements, including references to specific evaluation framework domains for staff performance assessments.

• Establishes salary allocations for the career ladder effective July 1, 2022 through July 1, 2024, with ranges from $40,742 to $63,000 depending on compensation rung and experience level.

• Declares an emergency and makes the act effective immediately upon passage, with the primary effective date of July 1, 2022.