Wyoming teacher salaries still ahead of most states

A report by the National Education Association says the average public school teacher in Wyoming has the 16th-highest salary in the nation.

The report released Monday says the average Wyoming teacher earned $58,352 last school year, which is higher than all of the neighboring states.

But the Casper Star-Tribune reports the report showed nearby states have been catching up to Wyoming’s teacher pay.

Salaries for Wyoming teachers rose just $165 between the 2017-18 and 2016-17 academic years, well below the national average of more than $900.

Last year, Wyoming spent $16,529 per student, the 10th highest in the nation. But, as a result of recent cuts, that number actually fell from the previous year.

Overall, Wyoming’s per-pupil spending dropped by 1.73 percent between the 2016-17 and 2017-18 school years.

In March, Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed into law legislation that boosts Idaho starting teacher pay to $38,500 in 2020 and to $40,000 the year after that. Starting teachers currently make a minimum of about $36,000.