Missouri Senate Leaders on Governor’s Teacher Pay Increase Proposal

(Missourinet) Governor Parson wants the Legislature to pass a plan designed to boost starting pay for Missouri’s K-12 public school teachers. Parson is proposing to have the state provide 70-percent of the funds needed for districts to boost their base teacher salary to 38-thousand-dollars and the district would provide the remaining 30-percent. Missouri’s starting teacher pay of 25-thousand dollars has not been increased in about 16 years. State Senate Majority Floor Leader Caleb Rowden, a fellow Republican, says Missouri clearly has a need for more teachers.

State Representative Tracy McCreery, a Democrat from St. Louis County, says having a higher starting salary makes sense because schools are competing with other industries to recruit and retain.