SB217 Alabama 2024 Session

Updated Feb 23, 2026

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Donnie ChesteenSenator
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2024
Title: Public school teacher salary schedule, experience credit provided to certain certified teachers for experience as paraprofessional or teacher's aide
Summary: SB217 lets certified teachers who previously worked as paraprofessionals or aides earn salary credit on the local schedule for their prior experience, for hires on or after June 1, 2024.
What This Bill Does
The bill adds a rule that certified teachers with at least four years of full-time work as a paraprofessional or aide in a public school can receive one year of experience credit on the local salary schedule for every two years of that prior experience. This credit applies when they are hired into a position that requires certification, and the salary credit is allocated on the local salary schedule established under Section 16-13-231.1. The provision takes effect for hires on or after June 1, 2024.

Who It Affects
Certified teachers who previously worked as paraprofessionals or classroom aides, who meet the four-year minimum and are hired into certified positions on or after June 1, 2024, will receive salary credit for their prior experience.
School districts and local salary schedule administrators, who must apply the specified salary credit to the local teacher salary schedule for eligible new hires.

Key Provisions
Adds Section 16-23-25 to the Code of Alabama 1975 to provide experience credit on the local salary schedule for eligible teachers.
Eligibility: minimum four years of full-time paraprofessional or classroom aide experience in a public school; must hold a teaching certificate and be hired into a certified position.
Credit: one year of salary credit on the local salary schedule for every two years of prior paraprofessional/aide experience earned before certification.
Credit application: applied to the local salary schedule established under Section 16-13-231.1.
Effective date: applies to teachers hired into positions requiring certification on or after June 1, 2024; bill becomes effective June 1, 2024.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Education