COMP NEWS – Utah Governor Spencer Cox has proposed a statewide increase to teacher compensation, looking to raise salaries by $6,000 in 2024.
Gov. Spencer Cox proposed increasing every teacher’s compensation in the state by $6,000 when he unveiled his 2024 state budget plan last week.
Why it matters: If approved by the Legislature, it would be the largest teacher compensation increase in the state’s history, Cox told reporters during his news conference at Centennial Junior High School in Kaysville.
By the numbers: The $200.7 million proposed investment would provide every Utah teacher a $4,600 salary increase and a $1,400 boost in benefits.
- In Utah, the average starting salary for a teacher is about $48,000 per year.
- Overall, Cox is proposing a $1.5 billion investment in education.
An increased number of states are raising the salaries of employees in education.
In a statement, Renée Pinkney, president of the Utah Education Association, the state’s largest public education employee association, applauded the proposed salary increases.
Mike Kelley, the association’s communications director, told Axios that Utah still lags behind other states when it comes to teacher compensation and class sizes. “Salary helps, but there are other things that need to be considered,” he said.
The big picture: An increasing number of states are raising teacher salaries due to budget surpluses and low retention rates.
To read more about the proposal to raise Utah teachers’ salaries, click here.
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