Gov. Roy Cooper shared details of his proposed budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year during a news conference Wednesday morning inside the Albemarle Building in downtown Raleigh.
The Democratic governor has dubbed 2024 “The Year of Public Schools.” He prioritized education and facility upgrades in his 209-page recommended budget adjustments.
North Carolina ranks 46th nationally in starting teacher pay, with new teachers earning $39,000 this year. That figure was scheduled to increase to $41,000 next year, with the governor calling for a jump to $46,000.
“The vast majority of parents are choosing public schools for their children, and they want strong investments in this budget that can help those schools continue to succeed and to improve,” Cooper said. “The legislature can help fix this by granting the 8.5% raise for teachers plus the $1,500 retention bonus that I am asking for. This will lift our starting teacher pay to first in the Southeast.”
The teacher salary schedule would top out at $58,750 for teachers with 30 years of experience, which is above the currently scheduled figure of $55,950.