A senate bill which would provide a pay increase for Oklahoma’s teachers and school personnel, passed the Oklahoma state Senate floor Tuesday.
Authored by Sen. Adam Pugh (R-Edmond), Senate Bill 482 features scaled pay increases spanning from $3,000 to $6,000 based on years of service. In a statement, Pugh said the experience, knowledge and expertise of career teachers with 15-25 years of experience must be rewarded with the largest increase.
“While our teachers and other school employees have some of the best benefits in the region, we must also reward these public servants by increasing their pay to keep pace with regional trends,” Pugh said.
According to a report by the Oklahoma Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency, or LOFT, Oklahoma funds all of the health insurance benefits for school personnel. However, other states such as Kansas, Missouri and Colorado don’t pay any of the insurance premiums.
According to LOFT, Texas pays 12 percent of health insurance premiums. Arkansas provides for 24 percent, while New Mexico covers 65 percent.
Texas educators pay 43 percent of the total premium, according to the Texas Teacher Retirement System. LOFT’s findings state Oklahoma’s contribution rate was nearly $5,000 higher than Texas’ in 2021.
The increase begins at $3,000 for new teachers with under four years of experience, $4,000 for five to nine years, $5,000 for 10 to 14 years in the profession and $6,000 for 15 plus years as a teacher.
“I’ve worked with thousands of teachers, administrators, and others over the past year to figure out the best ways to attract more people into this rewarding profession, as well as recognize the dedication of those who have made this their life’s career,” Pugh said.
Oklahoma’s teacher pay gap is the second highest in the country according to a study published in 2022, following behind Colorado. The average annual salary is around $54,000, according to the National Education Association.
According to Pugh’s statement, there are over 52,000 certified personnel across 546 traditional and charter public schools in the state.
SB 482 passed the Senate 42 to 1, with Sen. Nathan Dahm (R-Broken Arrow) the only vote against the measure. The bill will now head to the House floor, where Rep. Mark McBride (R-Moore) serves as the principal House author.
This story was edited by Alexia Aston and Jazz Wolfe.
