JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KY3) – Missouri’s top education official is worried about funding for teacher pay as the state’s budget shrinks.
In three weeks, Jefferson City will once again be bustling with lawmakers as they decide which policies will affect the future of Missouri. With about 150 bills already filed on the topic, lawmakers are sure to discuss K-12 education at length.
The passage of an expansive education bill this year came with a big price tag — one that has people like Matt Michelson with the Missouri Teachers Association worried about funding. Gov. Mike Parson said that education bill will cost $400 million more than anticipated. It includes raises for teachers and incentives for schools to stay in session five days a week.
“We have growth in current programs, and if we’re not seeing growth in the economy, where are those cuts going to come from? We know in the past, many of those cuts have come from K-12, transportation and even the foundation formula,” Michelson said.
One of the things that new law promises is a starting salary of $40,000 for teachers. That starting salary briefly changed Missouri’s status as the lowest paying in the country, but only if the state can keep up with it.
Missouri put $4 million toward raising that teacher pay in the most recent budget, but lawmakers will have to renew that grant every year for it to continue. The state would pay for 70% of the salary while the school districts must cover the rest.
This year, several Missouri lawmakers did try to implement the teacher salary grant permanently, but it never got past committee.
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Karla Eslinger is preparing for her first state legislative session in a new position. She knows the state is facing a tighter budget next year. Small districts are only able to afford the new pay bump with the help of a state grant, but Eslinger is already thinking of sacrifices that might have to be made to protect that grant.
“If we’re not funded, I could act adequately, then obviously we’re not going to be able to do that, so other areas will probably have to be put aside or or not fully funded,” Eslinger said.
Eslinger is also focused on retaining quality teachers. In an anonymous survey conducted by the Missouri State Teachers Association, 70% of educators said they have seriously considered leaving the profession. The top reasons are stress, student behavior and lack of pay. According to the anonymous survey, a common reason for teachers to be stressed is low staffing.
“It depends on the quality of that teacher, then as far as what’s happening with the classroom and how successful the kids are,” Eslinger said. “So we’re again focusing on those pieces and hoping that we see some legislation that will help us to recruit and retain some really, really high fliers to meet the needs of our kids.”
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