DeSantis signs teacher pay bill

State to spend $400 million to raise minimum on salaries

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Wednesday that he said will boost pay for many teachers, making the minimum salary among the highest in the nation. The goal is to have teachers, on average, earn at least $47,500.

Despite financial hardships brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, the state will spend $400 million to increase teacher pay so that its average minimum ranks it fifth in the nation, up from 26th, DeSantis said. The state will spend another $100 million to increase salaries of veteran teachers as well as some other school employees who are already earning above that minimum.

Hiking teacher pay was a top priority of the governor this year, and he said Florida will still make that happen, despite hard financial decisions to come.

“This will be there, 100 percent,” he said, speaking at a press conference at Mater Academy Charter School in Hialeah Gardens. “We’re going to have to make tough choices, but this is important.”

The Florida Education Association applauded DeSantis’ decision to sign the bill and to pay for teacher salaries, even if some budget items are “on the chopping block” because of the state’s economic downturn.

“This $500 million investment in Florida’s

teachers is especially meaningful given the current circumstances. It speaks to the deep value of public education to our state’s future,” said Fedrick Ingram, the union’s president, in a statement. “The decision to leave this investment for Florida’s schools intact is an acknowledgement of the hard work our members do each and every day for Florida’s students. We thank Gov. DeSantis for signing this very important bill into law.”