What would Beshear's pay raise proposal mean for JCPS teachers?

If Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has it his way, legislators will approve an 11% salary increase for all public school employees - a move that would bump Kentucky out of its dismal ranking for average teacher pay.

Given the state's teacher shortage, and given a recent report finding Kentucky teacher pay is down nearly $10,000 in real dollars when compared to 2008, a pay increase is among the top concerns for the state's largest teacher unions.

Beshear, though, hasn't had a ton success in convincing the GOP-dominated legislature to follow his budget proposals. Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, said Tuesday that while there might be some similarities in what Republicans and the governor are seeking, there will be differences, too.

"We're going to pass a budget. Is it going to be everything the governor wants? Probably not," Stivers told The Courier Journal on the first day of the session.

What would an 11% increase mean for the state and for its largest school system?

State law dictates the minimum rate teachers can earn, and then districts can choose whether or not to supplement that rate. The state's salary schedule dictates teachers be paid based on their degree level and the number of years worked.

Currently, Kentucky lags behind much of the country, ranking 44th for its starting teacher salary ($38,010) and 40th for its average salary ($54,574), according to the National Education Association.

Each state neighboring Kentucky pays their new teachers more on average, and only two ranked worse for their average salary.

More: Can a basketball court spur economic development? This Shawnee pastor says it will

An 11% increase would bring the starting salary to $42,191 and the average salary to $60,577 - a rate that would surpass averages in Indiana, Tennessee and West Virginia.

Within Jefferson County Public Schools, there were nearly 3,700 elementary, middle and high school teachers last school year, who collectively earned about $270 million a year, or roughly 31% of the district's payroll, according to 2022-2023 payroll records obtained by The Courier Journal.

Among that group - which excludes teachers who worked in special capacities - pay ranged from about $34 to nearly $73 an hour, with some teachers earning about $45,500 annually all the way up to $109,000. Only eight teachers made more than $100,000 annually - each working at the high school level.

On average, JCPS teachers make about $56 an hour, or nearly $74,000 a year - significantly surpassing the state's average rate.

An 11% increase would bring the average JCPS teacher salary to a little more than $82,000 a year. This would put their salaries far above the national average of $66,745 and above the average for each neighboring state, according to the National Education Association.

More: JCPS has hundreds of employees making over $100K. Here's who makes the most

Aside from these teachers, JCPS employs another roughly 13,000 people, spending a total of about $857 million on salaries.

Records show roughly 900 JCPS employees earned more than $100,000.

The highest-paid employees in the district include Superintendent Marty Pollio, members of his executive staff, assistant superintendents and high school principals.

Contact reporter Krista Johnson at kjohnson3@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky teacher raises: How Beshear's plan would change JCPS pay