(1) School district employees shall be provided an annual salary cost-of-living increase in accordance with this section.

     (a) The cost-of-living increase shall be calculated by applying the rate of the yearly increase in the cost-of-living index to any state-funded salary base used in state funding formulas for teachers and other school district employees. Beginning with the 2001-02 school year, and for each subsequent school year, except for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 school years, each school district shall be provided a cost-of-living allocation sufficient to grant this cost-of-living increase.

     (b) A school district shall distribute its cost-of-living allocation for salaries and salary-related benefits in accordance with the district's salary schedules, collective bargaining agreements, and compensation policies. No later than the end of the school year, each school district shall certify to the superintendent of public instruction that it has spent funds provided for cost-of-living increases on salaries and salary-related benefits.

     (c) Any funded cost-of-living increase shall be included in the salary base used to determine cost-of-living increases for school employees in subsequent years. For teachers and other certificated instructional staff, the rate of the annual cost-of-living increase funded for certificated instructional staff shall be applied to the base salary used with the statewide salary allocation schedule established under RCW 28A.150.410 and to any other salary models used to recognize school district personnel costs.

     (2) For the purposes of this section, "cost-of-living index" means, for any school year, the previous calendar year's annual average consumer price index, using the official current base, compiled by the bureau of labor statistics, United States department of labor for the state of Washington. If the bureau of labor statistics develops more than one consumer price index for areas within the state, the index covering the greatest number of people, covering areas exclusively within the boundaries of the state, and including all items shall be used for the cost-of-living index in this section.

[2011 1st sp.s. c 18 § 1; 2009 c 573 § 1; 2003 1st sp.s. c 20 § 1; 2001 c 4 § 2 (Initiative Measure No. 732, approved November 7, 2000).]

NOTES:

     Effective date -- 2011 1st sp.s. c 18: "This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect July 1, 2011." [2011 1st sp.s. c 18 § 7.]

     Effective date -- 2009 c 573: "This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect July 1, 2009." [2009 c 573 § 4.]

     Severability -- 2001 c 4 (Initiative Measure No. 732): "If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected." [2001 c 4 § 5 (Initiative Measure No. 732, approved November 7, 2000).]