§421.8.  Supplements to salaries of school counselors having certain certificates issued by the National Board for Certified Counselors

A.(1)  Effective for the 2001-2002 school year and thereafter, a full-time school counselor who holds both a valid Louisiana counseling credential approved and issued by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and a National Certified School Counselor credential issued by the National Board for Certified Counselors and who is employed by a school board to provide services to students shall receive from the school board, in addition to annual salary, an annual amount of five thousand dollars with such additional amount to be distributed in the same manner as the annual salary.

(2)  To receive the salary supplement provided by this Section, an otherwise eligible person shall have been awarded the initial credential issued by the National Board for Certified Counselors prior to July 1, 2013.  However, the employing school board may, but shall not be required to, pay the additional amount to an otherwise eligible person who was awarded the initial credential issued by the National Board for Certified Counselors on or after July 1, 2013.

B.(1)  Any school counselor verified to have been awarded the certificate issued by the National Board for Certified Counselors shall be paid the initial supplement beginning in the school year immediately following the school year in which the school counselor is awarded the certificate provided he submits appropriate documentation to his employing school board.

(2)  The school board shall submit the appropriate documentation as required by the Department of Education no later than August first of each year for verification of the documentation and in order to receive reimbursement as provided in Subsection C of this Section.

C.  Subject to the appropriation of funds for this purpose, the amount of the salary supplement provided by a school board to a school counselor pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall be reimbursed to the school board annually by the state Department of Education out of funds appropriated for such purpose.  However, no such reimbursement shall exceed five thousand dollars per year per school counselor.

D.  In addition to any other requirements of this Section, to receive the salary supplement provided by this Section for the fall school term of the 2001-2002 school year an otherwise eligible person shall have been awarded the initial credential issued by the National Board for Certified Counselors before July 1, 2001, and shall provide such documentation of validity to the school board prior to September 1, 2001.

E.  The salary supplement of any school counselor authorized by this Section shall continue for a period not to exceed the term of the national professional certificate as determined by the National Board for Certified Counselors, which is a period not to exceed five years.  However, such supplement shall continue in effect without interruption as long as the school counselor provides to the school board documentation of renewal by the national board.

F.  For the purposes of this Section, "school board" means the governing authority of any public elementary or secondary school.

Acts 2001, No. 682, §1, eff. June 25, 2001; Acts 2003, No. 474, §1, eff. June 20, 2003; Acts 2006, No. 151, §1; Acts 2013, No. 319, §1.