PAY RAISE FOR TEACHERS UNANIMOUSLY PASSES TEXAS SENATE, MOVES TO HOUSE

  

A Texas Senate bill calling for a $5,000 annual pay raise for school teachers and librarians is now headed to the House.

Senators voted unanimously on Monday to approve the bill, which was deemed priority legislation for many lawmakers, including Governor Greg Abbott.

School librarians were not originally included in the pay raise, but the bill’s author, Senator Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound), added an amendment Monday to cover them with the raise.

Under the bill, the state would give funding to school districts for raises for more than 350,000 full-time classroom teachers and librarians, at a cost of $3.9 billion over the next two years.  The bill calls for state revenue, not local, to fund these pay raises.

Senator Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham), co-author of the bill, said teachers are “the most valuable asset in public education”, and “unsung heroes” who prepare youth for success.