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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Proposal to boost Idaho teacher pay revealed to lawmakers

Kimberlee Kruesi Associated Press

BOISE – One of the Idaho Legislature’s most anticipated proposals to boost teacher pay has been revealed just a little more than a week before lawmakers begin setting the state’s public education budget.

The Idaho House Education Committee listened to the pitch Friday but did not vote on any legislation.

“I don’t want to know if you love it or hate it,” said Chairman Reed DeMordaunt, R-Eagle, to the committee. “We are not here to debate. We are here to learn and ask questions.”

The goal is to stop the exodus of Idaho’s teachers seeking better wages in other states by steadily increasing pay during the next five years. Lawmakers have scrambled over the past weeks to hash out a plan – which comes with a nearly $30 million price tag just for the first year – that will pass Idaho’s fiscally conservative Republican Statehouse while also satisfying groups like the state teachers union.

Under the 33-page draft bill presented Friday, beginning teachers would be paid $32,200 per year, or just 1.4 percent more than the current minimum teacher salary of $31,750. Beginning teacher pay would steadily increase over five years, with the goal to pay brand-new teachers $37,000 by fiscal year 2020.

“You’ll recognize a significant shift in how Idaho pays teachers,” said Marilyn Whitney, education liaison for Gov. Butch Otter, who outlined the proposal in front of the committee.

After three years at the beginning pay level, teachers would qualify for a new tier. This would boost teachers into a higher pay grade ranging from $42,000 to $50,000 per year, depending on experience.

The plan would also call for additional incentives for teachers who earn a master’s degree and other educational accomplishments. Teachers could earn an extra $3,500 to $4,000 a year.