(a) Subject to the budgetary and fiscal provisions of the Charter, monies in the Fair Wages for Educators Fund shall be appropriated on an annual or supplemental basis and used exclusively for the following purposes:
(1) Up to 1% of the proceeds of the Tax, in any proportion, to the Tax Collector and other City Departments, for administration of the Fair Wages for Educators Parcel Tax and administration of the Fair Wages for Educators Fund.
(2) Refunds of any overpayments of the Tax, including any related penalties, interest, and fees.
(3) All remaining amounts to be transferred to the School District, which shall use these proceeds only for the following purposes, with the School District having sole discretion as to allocation of the proceeds among any or all of these purposes:
(A) Raising the salaries of teachers so the School District can compete with other school districts in recruiting and retaining qualified and prepared teachers to support student achievement;
(B) Raising the salaries of paraeducators so the School District can better support individualized learning;
(C) Increasing staffing and support at high-needs schools;
(D) Increasing staffing and program funding at Community Schools;
(E) Providing additional professional development to all teachers and paraeducators;
(F) Providing more competitive compensation and/or benefits to other School District personnel;
(G) Investing in 21st century technology, including providing support for digital teaching and learning tools for students, educators, and their families;
(H) Allocating funds to public charter schools in the City; and
(I) Providing oversight to ensure the proceeds from the Tax are spent only for the purposes described in this subsection (a).
(b) The Controller shall, with every disbursement made to the School District pursuant to this Article 37, require the School District to verify in writing that it will use the funds only for the purposes set forth in subsection (a)(3).
(c) Commencing with a report filed no later than February 15, 2023, covering the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2022, the Controller shall file annually with the Board of Supervisors, by February 15 of each year, a report containing the amount of monies collected in and expended from the Fair Wages for Educators Fund during the prior Fiscal Year, the status of any project required or authorized to be funded by this Section 3709, and such other information as the Controller, in the Controller’s sole discretion, shall deem relevant to the operation of this Article 37.
(Added by Proposition J, 11/3/2020, Eff. 7/1/2021)