SC education leaders lay out teacher pay raise requests for 2020
South Carolina’s education leaders say they plan to push state lawmakers to spend upwards of $160 million next year to again increase the paychecks of the state’s more than 52,000 teachers — this time by 5% — when the Legislature gavels back into work in January.
State Education Superintendent Molly Spearman told reporters Wednesday that she has requested a 5% pay raise for teachers in next year’s budget. That will be part of a larger funding request that is expected to become public when all of South Carolina’s state agencies’ budget requests are made public later this week.
The 5% raise is expected to have the support of various S.C. teachers groups, two of which have themselves already called for at least a 5% pay raise next year.
The state’s largest teachers group says it will shoot a bit higher — 10%.
“It’s going to be hard to get it, but we got to start somewhere,” Kathy Maness, head of the Palmetto State Teachers Association, told The State. “We appreciate what the General Assembly did last year for teachers and we hope they’re going to continue that support.”
Republicans — who control the state House and Senate chambers — have told The State and other outlets that raising teacher salaries will again be a top priority next year.
Lawmakers learned last week the Legislature will have an extra $1.8 billion to spend next year, bumping up the state’s spending plan to $10.2 billion, its largest budget to date.
With the government taking in much extra money, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster told reporters Wednesday that 2020 is the year to cut taxes.
But it also is the year to raise pay for teachers, again, the governor said.
“The teachers have a very important function, and if we don’t stay ahead of the competition there, we will not have the best teachers in the country and that’s what we want,” McMaster told reporters after his cabinet meeting Wednesday. “We raised them last year, we need to raise them again across the board. ... Whatever it comes out to we can afford to do it and we need to do it.”
‘First thing out the gate’
Advocates for South Carolina’s teachers said Wednesday they remain hopeful education tops the priority list next year — almost a year after 10,000 teachers and their supporters rallied at the State House demanding higher pay and better classroom working conditions.
But they acknowledge it is an election year in which all 170 lawmakers’ seats are up for grabs.
“I’m concerned because it is an election year, and people don’t like to make decisions during an election year that they think will cost them a vote,” said Sherry East, head of the S.C. Education Association. “And we can’t wait. Education can’t wait until the election’s over.”
The Senate’s education chief said Wednesday he has no intention of delaying a vote over what is now a 63-page proposal aimed at fixing the state’s schools system. But, he said, the piece of legislation is not “going to change the world.”
“We’re cleaning up and smoothing out a lot of the rough spots that existed in South Carolina law before,” Senate Education Committee chairman Greg Hembree, R-Horry, told his Senate colleagues and the room’s audience, including some teachers, Wednesday.
“I will assure you, ... that when we get to wherever we get in the Senate, there will be something in this bill for everybody to hate.”
The 17-member Senate Education Committee got their first look at the full bill Wednesday. Hembree told senators he anticipates at least three meetings on it, but he reiterated his goal to get the bill on the full Senate floor first thing in January.
“My hope is that this will be the first thing out of the gate,” state Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, told reporters.
All eyes are on the Senate, but the House is continuing to work on more education proposals.
In an emailed statement, House Speaker Jay Lucas said while the Senate continues to deliberate, the House will move forward.
“It appears that the Senate can’t vote on even a watered down version of education reform,” said the Darlington Republican. “Nearly eight months after the House passed a comprehensive bill there is still no meaningful progress. Meanwhile, the students of our state continue to fall further behind. While the Senate continues to deliberate, I expect the House to continue to deliver thoughtful education reforms that are sorely needed.“
Joseph Bustos contributed to this report.
