House and Senate agree on teacher pay raise plan

On Wednesday, the Mississippi House and Senate reached an agreement on the START Act, detailing a teacher pay raise plan that would raise the base salaries by an average of $5,140. 

Today, the House & Senate reached an agreement on The START Act— a nearly $250mil investment in MS teachers. Under this legislation, teachers will receive an average raise of $5,140, effective in the 2022-2023 school year. Asst. teachers will also receive a $2,000 raise. pic.twitter.com/FGzO3Wmrk7

— Rep. Kent McCarty (@KentMcCarty) March 16, 2022

Rep. Kevin Ford also shared the news on social media saying, “A brand new teacher with a bachelor’s degree will start out making $41,500 plus the district supplements. This will exceed the Southeastern and National average for starting teacher pay.” 

While the House and Senate have reached a deal, each chamber will still have to conduct a vote on the agreement before it can be sent to Gov. Reeves. 

Earlier in the session, House leaders killed a Senate bill on the issue which effectively forced the Senate to pass House Bill 530 to be used as the vehicle to garner teacher pay raises. 

A key element of the House Bill is timing. The current House plan would roll out raises in a single year, where the Senate plan phased out over two years. 

“I’m not willing to pass a bill – when we’ve told teachers wait until next year, wait until next year – where there’s millions held back that they don’t get until the second year, an election year,” House Education Chair Richard Bennett said. 

If signed, the START Act would be a $246 million investment in Mississippi teachers beginning in the 2022-2023 school year.