Could another Oklahoma teacher pay raise be coming in 2024?

After raising teacher salaries by the thousands last year, some state lawmakers say Oklahoma should pursue a second consecutive pay increase.

Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, is proposing a $1,500 to $3,000 pay boost for certified public school employees, most of whom are teachers. Pugh was one of the engineers of last year’s $3,000 to $6,000 salary increase.

He said Oklahoma should “constantly be evaluating” teacher pay rather than waiting for neighboring states to offer more.

“We don’t always have to be reactionary to it,” Pugh said. “Most of the time I would want us to be proactive. Rather than waiting for a Texas or a Kansas to do something, I want us to be leading there.”

Teacher salaries and incentives have become a horse race among Oklahoma and its bordering states. All are competing for a dwindling number of qualified educators amid a nationwide teacher shortage.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma public schools are increasingly having to rely on teaching candidates who aren’t traditionally trained.

Pugh’s new measure, Senate Bill 1313, would raise the starting salary to $41,101 for a public school educator with a bachelor’s degree. The minimum pay would increase by $1,500 for teachers with zero to four years of experience.

More: Millions meant for Oklahoma teacher pay raises has largely sat unused, officials say

Teachers with five to nine years in the classroom would have a $2,000 pay boost, and those working 10 to 14 years would see their minimum salaries grow by $2,500. Having 15 years of experience or more would command a $3,000 raise, should the bill become law.

Pugh, who leads the Senate committees on education policy and funding, estimated the bill could cost between $100 million and $150 million.

Last year’s pay raise package cost $286 million and similarly increased salaries based on years of experience. It was estimated to boost Oklahoma’s average teacher pay to $60,307, which is slightly behind Texas, Colorado and New Mexico.

Pugh’s counterpart in the House, Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, said he is supportive of raising teacher salaries again. After putting $625 million more into education funding this fiscal year, lawmakers need to “keep moving the ball forward,” said McBride, who leads the House committee on education funding.

“There may be a point out there that we can call it (where) we’re in a good spot,” McBride said. “But I don’t know that we’re in that good spot yet.”

State Superintendent Ryan Walters proposed spending millions on incentive-based raises for teachers. Although the Legislature gets the final say, Walters suggested the state put $60.55 million toward performance-based incentives, signing bonuses, tutoring wages, training and other investments for teachers.

Whether another pay raise in any form could pass the full Legislature is yet to be seen. McBride said he thinks it could be a “doable deal” in the House. Pugh said he’s curious to learn what his Senate colleagues think.

His chamber’s top lawmaker, Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said he empowered Pugh as a committee leader “to pursue legislation to improve education in the state.”

“While I have not reviewed his specific legislation this session, I believe he is doing what he thinks is best for education in Oklahoma,” Treat said in a statement. “I look forward to having further discussions with him regarding his legislation.”

The Senate’s budget committee leader, Sen. Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, said he’s not opposed to the idea of another pay raise, but he noted other state-funded salaries haven’t gone up since 2019.

Thompson filed a bill to raise pay for state employees by 9%. That would amount to $4,500 for the average employee, state officials say.

House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, said it’s “not outside the realm of possibility” that the Legislature invests more money in education, despite already passing a major package last session.

“I think there’s definitely money out there,” McCall told Oklahoma Voice.

The 2024 legislative session begins Feb. 5.

Reporter Carmen Forman contributed to this report.

Oklahoma Voice is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janelle Stecklein for questions: info@oklahomavoice.com. Follow Oklahoma Voice on Facebook and Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Proposed bill by Sen. Adam Pugh would raise Oklahoma teacher pay again