Arkansas governor set to sign teacher pay raise legislation

Graphic of teacher pay for Northwest Arkansas school districts.
Graphic of teacher pay for Northwest Arkansas school districts.

LITTLE ROCK -- Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson is scheduled to sign into law a bill that would raise the minimum for teacher salaries in the state by $4,000 over the next four years.

The governor's office says the Republican governor will sign the bill at 2 p.m. Monday at the state Department of Education.

The bill received wide support, passing the House on a 91-0 vote and clearing the Senate by a 35-0 margin.

Hutchinson has called for setting aside $60 million for school districts that are paying less than the new minimum requirements to comply with the legislation.

Decatur is the only school district among the 15 in Northwest Arkansas that will be affected the first year by the increase. The Decatur district pays the state minimum for a beginning teacher.

One other area district reported paying less than the $36,000 minimum mandated by 2023 under the law. West Fork pays $35,007 for a new teacher.

NW News on 02/19/2019

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