Many teachers and school support workers would be in line for a pay increase under a plan passed in the Iowa House Thursday, but House lawmakers will have to work out differences with the Senate before the raises become law.
The plan from the GOP-controlled House (HF 2630) steps up the minimum teacher salary set out in state law over the course of two years. In year one, the minimum would land at $47,500, up from the current $33,500. In year two, the minimum would become $50,000, a 49% increase from where it is today.
The bill drew bipartisan support by also including up to $14 million to help districts reach a $15 minimum wage for hourly staff such as paraeducators, office workers and bus drivers. It also includes $22 million to support raises for veteran teachers.
“This bill provides a great way to spend the surplus dollars in our state coffers,” said Rep. Sue Cahill, D-Marshalltown.
Rep. Bill Gustoff, R-Des Moines, said the new minimum salary for teachers should help recruit educators to the state and keep them in the field. At $50,000, he said Iowa would be among the top five states in the nation with the highest initial teacher salaries.
“The bill achieves a significant goal set forth by Gov. Reynolds to move Iowa’s minimum starting teacher salary to $50,000," Gustoff said. "And I thank her for setting a bold target that will vault Iowa to the top of the list to attract teachers in terms of pay.”
The funding in the House teacher pay bill amounts to an additional 2% increase in state aid for schools, Gustoff said. The House already passed a 3% increase in school funding, which has not come up for final passage in the Senate.
Only one Republican voted against the plan.
Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, said the decision to separate teacher pay from the House proposal making changes to the state’s Area Education Agencies helped bring Democrats on board.
In their proposals, the Senate and Gov. Kim Reynolds have tied the two issues together.
“I am pleased that we are able to talk about this bill and that we are able to send a bipartisan message to the Senate and to the governor to tell them that the House of Representatives is united in support of paying our teachers, paying our educators, paying our paraprofessionals in a way that is non-politicized, that is independent and is good for Iowa kids,” Konfrst said.
Now the plan goes to the Senate, where Republicans have a different target in mind for teacher pay. The Senate would put the minimum teacher salary at $46,251 dollars. That number is part of the Senate’s proposed overhaul of the state’s Area Education Agencies (SF 2386).
In a recent letter to superintendents, Gov. Kim Reynolds said she still wants to include a minimum salary of $62,000 for teachers with 12 years of experience. That was part of her teacher pay proposal at the start of the session.
