By Jaiya Brown, FOX23.com News Staff
OKLAHOMA — Oklahoma teachers are set to see a bump in the state’s minimum salary this month under a new law, but some school leaders said questions remain about whether districts will have enough money to cover the full cost.
Beginning July 1, Senate Bill 201 increased Oklahoma’s minimum teacher salary schedule by $2,000.
Lawmakers set aside $100 million to help school districts pay for the increase, but some district leaders believe the funding may fall short once retirement contributions, payroll taxes and other expenses are included.
State Senator Mary Boren, who supported raising the minimum salary, said the change does not mean every teacher will automatically receive a $2,000 raise.
“I do think increasing the minimum wage is good, but it’s wrong to claim that all teachers are getting a pay raise and it’s wrong for [the] government to insinuate—or politicians to imply or promise—that all teachers are going to get a pay raise when everybody knew all going through it that that wasn’t going to happen,” Boren stated.
Boren said she is concerned some districts could be left to cover a significant gap on their own as they work to meet the new minimum schedule.
“It’s actually causing some districts a little bit of difficulty to figure out how they’re going to make that happen. I know Norman Public Schools, where I’m from, is trying to make that happen. I’m sure that Tulsa Public Schools and Oklahoma City Public Schools are trying to make that happen as well, but at the guarantee that every person, every teacher, is going to get a full $2,000, it’s simply very hard to believe that that’s going to happen because the money just simply isn’t there. The legislature just allocated $100 million towards this goal or this aspiration, but then it also allocated $275 million to private schools, so we really can see where their priorities are.”
District leaders said they support investing in teachers, but are still evaluating how they will cover any costs beyond what the state provides.
Jenks Public Schools said in a statement:
“Jenks teachers are true professionals who relentlessly advocate for students and create countless opportunities for students to thrive. We will continue to work closely with our elected leaders to identify solutions for making Oklahoma a more attractive place to teach and learn.”
The district later sent the following continuation to their statement:
“Financial circumstances may vary from one district to another based on size, philosophy, other funding sources, debt, bonds, etc., so what may be easy to ‘cover’ for some districts may be very difficult for others. We believe if the state is going to fund an increase in pay, it should be fully funded, not partially funded.”
On social media, responses to whether the state is doing enough to support teachers while ensuring districts have the resources they need were mixed, with some people expressing support and others questioning how districts will make it work.
As districts prepare for the new school year, many will be watching how schools balance higher minimum pay with other classroom needs.
