School budgets allow for increased teacher pay

Teachers in the Idaho Falls School District may see an increase for the next school year.

Tonight, District 91 held a budget hearing to explain the changes for teacher’s salaries.

Since the state introduced guidelines for teacher pay, there’s been an ongoing trend for an increased pay for teachers.

Over the last few years funding took a big cut, these pay increases are to restore the pay that teachers deserve.

“The Legislature really did a lot of good work this year to make it restoring some of those lost fundings” said Margaret Wimborne, Coordinator of Communications and Community Engagement for District 91

In other parts of the state, Bonneville County recently incorporated a teacher salary ladder model that they received from the state.

“We used that funding model and we were able to give our teachers about a three percent increase” said April Burton, chief financial officer of District 93 in Bonneville County.

District 91 will also give a 3 percent increase to teachers as well as a 2.5 percent increase in base pay.

“About 90 percent of our revenue goes to salaries and benefits because again people play such a key role. Those teachers are the ones who really impact children’s lives ” said Wimborne

District 91 will look to incorporate the funding model Bonneville County used next year.

“The No.1 budget priority for our board and administration this year was restoring the lost compensation for our teachers and staff…the last couple of years, as I’ve said as we’ve gone through these budget cuts, all of our staff have been impacted in some way or another” said Wimborne.