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HB 711

Regards the minimum teacher salary schedule

136th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Mike Dovilla and 2 co-sponsors

HB 711 replaces the single “master’s degree or higher” minimum with three advanced-degree categories and ties salary steps to degree level and years of service.

Reported - Amended
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Bill Summary · HB 711

HB 711 (Ohio, 136th General Assembly) – Summary

Main purpose and intent

  • Replace the existing minimum teacher salary category “master’s degree or higher” with three distinct categories for teachers holding advanced degrees.
  • Expand the minimum salary framework to account for three levels of advanced education and different years of service, with base salary assumptions and limits clarified.

Key provisions and changes

  • Section 3317.13, as amended:
    • Defines relevant terms:
    • Years of service include: teaching in a district/ESC, teaching in chartered/public or nonpublic schools in Ohio, years in chartered/state-operating programs, and up to five years of active U.S. military service (with partial years counted as full after eight months).
    • “Teacher” includes all teachers employed by school districts, JVSDs, ESCs, and cooperative/joint boards.
    • Minimum salary schedule:
    • Maintains a base minimum salary framework but restructures the advanced-degree categories into three tiers: 1) Master’s degree in any field 2) Master’s degree in a field related to the teacher’s subject area 3) A degree higher than a master’s degree
    • For purposes of the schedule, the base amount remains $35,000 (base minimum for a teacher with a bachelor’s degree and zero years of service).
    • Each tier uses a percentage of the base amount to determine salary, with year-by-year increases; the exact percentages and dollar amounts are shown in the bill’s table.
    • Credit for years of service:
    • Teachers are credited with years of service for all applicable years (A)(1)(a)-(d).
    • Districts may not place caps that restrict placement or crediting of annual increments based on training level, and all applicable training is credited.
    • Annual adherence and compliance:
    • If a district or ESC fails to adopt or pay salaries per the schedule, the Director of Education and Workforce can investigate and issue a directive to correct within ten days; no state funds flow until compliance is demonstrated.
    • Data and reporting:
    • Requires appropriate placement on salary schedules by training level and years of service.
    • May require administrative efforts to define and report the new “related field” data element, affecting EMIS data collection and local personnel systems.

Who or what would be affected

  • Traditional school districts, joint vocational school districts (JVSDs), and educational service centers (ESCs) that operate under the minimum salary schedule.
  • Teachers with advanced degrees (three new categories) and those with years of service as defined.
  • Local education agencies (LEAs) for salary administration, budgeting, and reporting requirements.
  • Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) and school districts for potential data collection changes and reporting on degree fields.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Effective upon enactment of the revised section and its provisions (no specific date listed beyond passage in the bill text).
  • If a district/ESC does not comply with the minimum salary schedule or timely adoption/payment per the schedule, the state director can initiate investigations and require corrections within ten days.
  • How this interacts with existing collective bargaining agreements: provisions acknowledge that the salary terms under any active collective bargaining agreement prevail where they conflict with state minimums.

Fiscal and administrative impact (as described by LSC)

  • Statewide cost impact to raise salaries to the new minimums is likely minimal, given most districts already pay above the proposed minimums.
  • Estimated incremental cost to bring a small subset of teachers (roughly 0.2% of teachers in the analyzed dataset) to the new minimums could total around $80,000 statewide, with traditional districts comprising the majority of that amount.
  • Ongoing administrative workload and costs could rise due to:
    • Additional data collection/reporting on the field of a teacher’s degree (the “related field”).
    • Potential updates to EMIS and local personnel systems.
  • Actual district-level effects depend on existing contracts and the number of teachers below the new minimums; teacher salaries generally would adjust as contracts are renegotiated.

Bottom line

HB 711 introduces three distinct categories for advanced degrees within Ohio’s minimum teacher salary schedule, rather than a single “master’s degree or higher” category. It sets specific base salary relationships and ensures full credit for applicable years of service, while imposing compliance mechanisms for districts and potential administrative data changes for state reporting. Overall fiscal impact is expected to be small nationally, but districts may incur minor near-term costs related to data collection and salary adjustments as new contracts are negotiated.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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