The state last raised teacher salaries in2018 when they hiked teacher pay by $6,100. An additional $2,000 increase was passed in 2019.
State superintendent and Democratic candidate for Governor Joy Hofmeister is calling for teachers to get a $5,000 raise.
Each fall, the state superintendentpresents a proposed budget to the Oklahoma State Board of Education, where it is routinely rubber-stamped before heading to the legislature.
Hofmeisterannounced Monday morning that she would propose a teacher pay raise in that document and make achieving that raise a central pillar of her campaign.
The raise would cost roughly $310 million annually.
It’s unclear what the board will do about the proposal. Hofmeister and most of the Gov. Kevin Stitt-appointed members on the state board have afrosty relationship.
The legislature will have final say about what the budget will look like when they put one together next spring.
Oklahoma currently has thefourth-lowest teacher pay among its neighbors per the Oklahoma State School Board Association, and pays less than the regional average. Additionally, the OSSBA has found the state spends theleast among its neighbors on education per pupil.
StateImpact Oklahoma is a partnership of Oklahoma’s public radio stations which relies on contributions from readers and listeners to fulfill its mission of public service to Oklahoma and beyond. Donate online.
