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House adopts $2.14 billion education budget that includes a one‑time $2,000 teacher pay raise
Summary
The House adopted the conference report for House Bill 1935, the general education appropriation, recording a final adoption vote of 128–0. The bill funds a one‑time $2,000 teacher pay raise (and $2,000 for teacher assistants) and shifts some funding sources between general fund and education enhancement funds.
The House adopted the conference report for House Bill 1935, the general education appropriation, which conference managers said comes in at approximately $2.141 billion in total state support above LBR adjustments adopted in conference. The chamber recorded the final adoption vote on the conference report as 128–0 in the transcript.
Representative (Montgomery), explaining the conference report, outlined changes above the LBR level and line‑item shifts. He said the conferees agreed to move certain items between general funds and education enhancement funds and to fund increases in state testing contracts and student funding. On teacher pay, members confirmed the conference report includes a one‑time $2,000 pay raise for all teachers and a separate $2,000 raise for teacher assistants.
When asked whether the pay increase was the teacher pay raise the House had earlier proposed at $5,000, the chairman said the conference decision was based on available budget resources. "We worked within the confines of our budget that we had available to provide any pay raises," he said, later confirming, "It's a one time $2,000 pay raise for all teachers." Members pressed for clarity on how funds from the education enhancement fund are allocated to capital items such as books, buses, and buildings; the chairman and analysts explained that much of the additional money of about $268 million was routed through the student funding formula.
A motion to recommit the conference report with instructions to restore the House's earlier $5,000 teacher pay raise was offered and debated. The chairman urged members to oppose the motion, citing budget limits; the motion failed to secure support and the conference report was adopted by the full House.
The bill’s passage funds the one‑time teacher and assistant raises and includes other conference adjustments to the funding formula and program lines. Members also recorded motions to hold and motions to reconsider on particular bills later in the session; the journal remained open through the evening for additional conference reports to be filed.
