Proposed pay raise for Miss. teachers dies amid budget concerns

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – A proposed teacher pay raise has died at the Mississippi Capitol because of budget concerns during the coronavirus pandemic.

In early February, the Senate passed a bill to provide a $1,000 pay raise to most teachers and teachers’ assistants during the budget year that begins July 1. The plan would have given larger raises of $1,100 to teachers in the first two years of their careers.

The coronavirus pandemic struck the state in March, knocking people out of work and dimming the state’s budget prospects.

Tuesday was the deadline for House committees to act on the teacher pay bill, and the plan died.