SB 1014 - This act establishes provisions relating to the compensation of public school teachers. Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, this act increases the minimum teacher's salary from $25,000 to $38,000. For teachers with a master's degree and at least ten years of experience, this act increases the minimum salary from $33,000 to $44,000 for the 2025-26 school year and further increases such salary by $1,000 each year until the 2027-28 school year, when the minimum shall be $46,000.
By November 15th of each year, the Commissioner of Education shall present to the Joint Committee on Education information concerning the average Missouri teacher's salary, regional average salaries, and national average salaries. The Joint Committee shall, no later than January 1st of each year, recommend to the House Budget Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee the amount of money that should be appropriated in order to adequately fund public school teachers' salaries.
The act creates the "Teacher Baseline Salary Grant Fund" and "Teacher Baseline Salary Grant Program" for the purpose of increasing minimum teacher's salaries. The General Assembly may appropriate moneys to the Fund, provided that the total amount appropriated shall not exceed the amount necessary to assist each school district in increasing minimum teacher's salaries as required pursuant to the provisions of the act. For the 2025-26, 2026-27, and 2027-28 school years, each school district may apply to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for a grant from the Fund, provided that a grant shall not exceed 70% of the amount necessary for a district to increase minimum teacher's salaries as required pursuant to the provisions of the act. The remaining 30% of the amount necessary to increase minimum teacher's salaries shall be allocated from the district's local effort funding as provided in current law. These provisions shall expire on December 31, 2028.
The act repeals a provision of current law that teachers' Career Ladder responsibilities and career efforts shall be required to occur outside of compensated hours.
This act is similar to provisions in HCS/HB 497 (2023) and to a provision in SB 415 (2023).
OLIVIA SHANNON