Hall, Berger unveil 8% teacher raise in Nc Budget Deal
House Speaker Destin Hall and Senate President Phil Berger said Tuesday that North Carolina lawmakers had reached a nc budget deal on major state budget issues after months of stalemate. They laid out the framework at a Wednesday afternoon news conference, with pay raises for teachers, state employees and several law enforcement groups at the center of the agreement.
Hall and Berger
Hall said the average teacher pay raise in the budget will be 8%. He said starting teachers would rank No. 1 in the South when the local supplement is included, and veteran teachers would also receive increases across the salary schedule.
“This budget is really an unprecedented one for education in this state,” Hall said. He added, “The average teacher pay raise in our budget will be 8%.”
The teacher package also includes one-time bonuses tied to experience. Teachers with more than 16 years of experience would get $1,000, while those with 16 years of experience or less would get $500. Keith Poston, president of WakeEd Partnership, said, “If the reported teacher pay increases hold in the final budget, that represents meaningful progress and welcome recognition of the critical role educators play in our state's future,”
State Employees and SBI
The agreement also calls for an average 3% raise for state employees. Those who make less than $65,000 a year would receive a one-time bonus of $1,750, while employees above that threshold would get $1,000. Hall said the pay increases would go into effect upon enactment of the budget.
Berger said the deal includes an average 20.3% raise for SBI and ALE officers, including steps, and that SBI civilian personnel would also receive a substantial raise. He said State Highway Patrol officers would get an average 17.7% raise with step increases, while civilian personnel would receive up to an 11.5% raise.
Law Enforcement Raises
Berger said correctional officers would receive an average 15.4% salary increase with step increases, and probation and parole officers would receive an average 10.1% increase, including steps. Other law enforcement officers across state government, including State Capitol police, would get a 13% raise.
The budget also includes nearly $40.1 million for one-time bonuses of $1,750 for local law enforcement officers across the state. Berger described the package as including raises for multiple agencies at once, with civilian personnel and step increases folded into several of the changes.
The deal is still a framework rather than a final enacted budget. The increases would not take effect until lawmakers approve the budget and it becomes law.
