(a) In addition to any salary increments for principals and assistant principals, in effect on January 1, 2008, and paid from local funds, and in addition to the county schedule in effect for teachers, the county board shall pay each principal a principal's salary increment and each assistant principal an assistant principal's salary increment as prescribed by this section from state funds appropriated for the salary increments.

(b) State funds for this purpose shall be paid within the West Virginia public school support plan in accordance with article nine-a, chapter eighteen of this code.

(c) The salary increment in this section for each principal shall be determined by multiplying the basic salary for teachers in accordance with the classification of certification and of training of the principal as prescribed in this article by the appropriate percentage rate prescribed in this section according to the number of teachers supervised.

STATE MINIMUM SALARY INCREMENT

RATES FOR PRINCIPALS

EFFECTIVE UNTIL JULY 1, 2008

No. of Teachers

Supervised Rates

1-7 10.0%

8-14 10.5%

15-24 11.0%

25-38 11.5%

39-57 12.0%

58 and up 12.5%

STATE MINIMUM SALARY INCREMENT

RATES FOR PRINCIPALS

EFFECTIVE ON AND AFTER JULY 1, 2008

No. of Teachers

Supervised Rates

1-7 11.0%

8-14 11.5%

15-24 12.0%

25-38 12.5%

39-57 13.0%

58 and up 13.5%

(d) The salary increment in this section for each assistant principal shall be determined in the same manner as that for principals using the number of teachers supervised by the principal under whose direction the assistant principal works, except that the percentage rate shall be fifty percent of the rate prescribed for the principal.

(e) Salaries for employment beyond the minimum employment term shall be at the same daily rate as the salaries for the minimum employment terms.

(f) For the purpose of determining the number of teachers supervised by a principal, the county board shall use data for the second school month of the prior school term and the number of teachers shall be interpreted to mean the total number of professional educators assigned to each school on a full-time equivalency basis: Provided, That if there is a change in circumstances because of consolidation or catastrophe, the county board shall determine what is a reasonable number of supervised teachers in order to establish the appropriate increment percentage rate.

(g) No county may reduce local funds allocated for salary increments for principals and assistant principals in effect on January 1, 2008, and used in supplementing the state minimum salaries as provided in this article, unless forced to do so by defeat of a special levy, or a loss in assessed values or events over which it has no control and for which the county board has received approval from the state board prior to making the reduction.

(h) Nothing in this section prevents a county board from providing, in a uniform manner, salary increments greater than those required by this section.