Educator Pay Raise Bill Receives Overwhelming Bipartisan Support. On Way to Governor’s Desk.
February 29, 2024
February 29, 2024
Both HB187 and SB104 will now make their way to Governor Youngkin’s desk for his signature. Call the Governor’s Office now at (804) 786-2211 and urge Governor Youngkin to do the bare minimum and at least get educators to the national average educator pay by signing House Bill 187 and Senate 104.
Today, in a show of overwhelming bipartisan support, the House of Delegates gave final approval to House Bill 187, sponsored by Delegate Nadarius Clark. The measure would require the Governor’s introduced budget bills for the 2025, 2026, and 2027 Regular Sessions of the General Assembly to propose funding for, and state funding to be provided pursuant to the general appropriation act enacted during any regular or special session of the General Assembly during 2025, 2026, or 2027 to fund, the Commonwealth’s share of compensation supplement incentives for Standards of Quality-funded instructional and support positions sufficient to increase the average teacher salary in the Commonwealth to at least the national average teacher salary by the end of the 2026–2028 biennium and establishes a detailed timeline and process for satisfying such requirement. HB187, passed by a supermajority vote of 69-31.
House: VOTE: Adoption (69-Y 31-N)
YEAS–Anthony, Arnold, Askew, Bennett-Parker, Bloxom, Bulova, Callsen, Carr, Clark, Cohen, Cole, Convirs-Fowler, Cordoza, Cousins, Coyner, Delaney, Ennis, Feggans, Gardner, Glass, Green, Hayes, Helmer, Henson, Hernandez, Herring, Hodges, Hope, Jones, Kent, Keys-Gamarra, Kilgore, Krizek, Laufer, Leftwich, LeVere Bolling, Lopez, Lovejoy, Maldonado, Martinez, McClure, McQuinn, Milde, Morefield, Mundon King, O’Quinn, Orrock, Owen, Price, Rasoul, Reaser, Reid, Seibold, Sewell, Shin, Sickles, Simon, Simonds, Srinivasan, Sullivan, Taylor, Thomas, Torian, Tran, Wachsmann, Ward, Watts, Willett, Mr. Speaker–69.
NAYS–Austin, Ballard, Batten, Campbell, Cherry, Davis, Earley, Fowler, Freitas, Garrett, Gilbert, Griffin, Higgins, Knight, Marshall, McNamara, Oates, Obenshain, Phillips, Runion, Scott, P.A., Tata, Walker, Ware, Webert, Wiley, Williams, Wilt, Wright, Wyatt, Zehr–31.
The VEA applauds Delegate Nadarius Clark for patroning HB187 and advocating to get teachers at or above the national average teacher pay and also including school support staff.
In addition, pay raises for educators are also in both House and Senate budgets.
Budget amendment, Item 125 #10h in the House’s budget bill (HB30) provides $207.1 million the first year and $417.8 million the second year from the general fund to provide the state’s share of two 3 3/8 percent salary increases provided on July 1, 2024 and July 1, 2025. This implements the provisions of House Bill 187 for the 2024-26 biennium, which establishes a methodology for funding the state’s share of compensation adjustments as needed to increase Virginia’s average teacher salary to at least the National average teacher salary, by the end of fiscal year 2028.
The projected national average salary is based on NEA’s estimated national average salary in fiscal year 2023, then adjusted for inflation in subsequent years. The projected Virginia average salary is based on NEA’s calculated Virginia average salary in fiscal year 2022, then adjusted for state funded compensation increases in fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2024.
The companion bill to HB187, Senate Bill 104 sponsored by Senate Finance Chair, Sen. Louis Lucas is also on its way to the Governor’s Desk. SB104 also passed the House of Delegates by a vote of 70-26 and received agreement in the Senate by a vote 20-18. Watch the debate on HB187/SB104 on the floor of Senate below.
Both HB187 and SB104 will now make their way to Governor Youngkin’s desk for his signature. Call the Governor’s Office now at (804) 786-2211 and urge Governor Youngkin to do the bare minimum and at least get educators to the national average educator pay by signing House Bill 187 and Senate 104.
According to a poll conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University, 66% of Virginians say public schools do not have enough funding to meet their needs.
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