(a) There shall be a single, uniform pay plan for teachers and other professional personnel at the campuses of the Maryland School for the Deaf. The pay plan shall be established by the Secretary of Budget and Management after considering recommendations from the Board of Trustees of the Maryland School for the Deaf. The Secretary shall include in the pay plan classifications and pay grades based on the duties, responsibilities, education, and training required.
(b) In determining its recommendations for the pay plan, the Board of Trustees, in consultation with the faculty and staff of the Maryland School for the Deaf, shall review the salaries of public school teachers and other professional personnel in Frederick and Howard counties and shall recommend to the Secretary of Budget and Management salaries that will be adequate to recruit and retain qualified teachers and professional personnel at the Maryland School for the Deaf.
(c) The Board of Trustees shall provide their recommendations to the Secretary of Budget and Management on or before the June 1 prior to the July 1 of the first fiscal year in which the pay plan will take effect.
(d) Beginning with the third fiscal year the pay plan is in effect and in every third fiscal year thereafter, the Secretary of Budget and Management shall adjust the pay plan, if necessary, to ensure that salaries in the pay plan are adequate to recruit and retain qualified educators and other professional personnel.
(e) On or before the September 1 preceding the beginning of the fiscal year for which adjustments to the pay plan may be made under this subsection, the Board of Trustees of the Maryland School for the Deaf shall review the salaries of public school teachers and other professional personnel in Frederick and Howard counties and shall recommend adjustments to the pay plan to the Secretary of Budget and Management.
(f) The Secretary of Budget and Management shall review the recommendations of the Board of Trustees prior to making adjustments to the pay plan authorized by this Act.
(g) The Secretary of Budget and Management shall incorporate these adjustments into the budget recommendations for the Governor’s review and approval for inclusion in the annual budget request.