As reported briefly a couple of weeks ago, Idaho’s K-12 educators will likely see an increase in their paychecks. The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, a committee comprised of members of both houses of the Idaho Legislature, agreed on Feb. 6 to increase pay for all state employees, including educators.
The minimum increase for most state workers will be $1.05 per hour, with a maximum increase of $1.55 per hour. Money for educator raises will be allocated to the districts and secured locally through the contract negotiations process. All told, districts will have access to an additional $84.7 million in funding.
“Idaho’s public school educators deserve every penny they receive,” said Idaho Education Association Associate Executive Director Matt Compton. “Inadequate compensation has long been an issue in Idaho and affects districts’ ability to recruit and retain high-quality educators. We applaud JFAC for taking a step in the right direction, and we’re looking forward to supporting IEA’s local unions as they negotiate the best deal for their members.”
Governor Brad Little advocated for 5% raises during his State of the State address in early January. JFAC debated the pay increase for weeks, mostly centering on whether the raises should be based on merit.
Idaho educators received pay raises during the 2023 legislative session. Lawmakers are giving themselves raises, too. As the Idaho Capital Sun has reported, legislators will soon see a 25% increase in their pay.
Career Ladder Update?
This week, Sen. Jim Woodward (R-Sagle) introduce Senate Bill 1095, which would update career ladder compensation for Idaho educators. The proposed changes would permanently revise salary allocations for three professional tiers: residency, professional and advanced professional. The base level for each of those tiers would increase by $6,359. Here’s how that would look:
Residency Tier Base Level 1
• 2024 compensation: $41,500
• 2025 compensation: $47,859
Professional Tier Base Level 1
• 2024: $44,500
• 2025: $50,859
Advanced Professional Tier Base Level 1
• 2024: $55,000
• 2025: $61,359
In addition, the bill would add a $3,000 allocation for career technical education staff with occupational specialist certificates.
“Permanently adding this increase to the career ladder will reduce uncertainty for Idaho educators for years to come,” Compton said. “The increase will be ongoing, so this is an opportunity to bring salaries up to a more competitive level while reducing the need for districts to take on the burden of difficult-to-pass levies.”
The Senate Education Committee advanced SB 1095 this week. It should be heard on the Senate floor within the coming weeks.
