As state budget stalemate continues, teacher pay raises remain in limbo

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- As the Republican-controlled State House and Senate remain at an impasse in budget negotiations, educators are feeling the impact.

"Not having a budget this year means there's no pay raises. No pay raises in the context of inflation means a pay cut, right? Not having a pay raise this year in the context of increased spending on healthcare costs means a pay cut," said Bryan Proffitt, Vice President of NCAE.

Without a newly passed budget, the state is operating off a rolled-over version of the prior budget. Legislators, who were in Raleigh this week, are not currently due back at the General Assembly until next month.

The House, Senate, and Governor Stein's respective proposals all included pay raises for educators to varying degrees. The Senate's plan included an average 3.3% raise over the biennium, including a $3,000 bonus, while the House's original proposal sought an average increase of 8.7%, with new teachers seeing a larger bump. Gov. Stein's proposal called for a 10.7% increase in teacher pay.

"We have a state full of voters who say fund public schools. We have three proposals that increase money for public school educators, and they can't get it done," said Proffitt.

According to an April report from the National Education Association, the estimated average salary for public school teachers in the 2023-24 school year in North Carolina was $58,292, below the national average of $72,030. Nationally, North Carolina ranked 43rd.

"We already (have) some of the lowest-paid teachers in the country. We're investing near the bottom in the country in terms of per pupil. That's not a great message to tell someone who wants to get into teaching or wants to stay there," said Keith Poston, President of WakeEd Partnership.

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Poston notes the budget discussions in Raleigh come amidst broader uncertainty surrounding federal education funding.

"It's really a one-two punch," said Poston.

The advocacy organization runs the Tools4Schools free classroom supply store in Raleigh, available exclusively to Wake County Public School System teachers. Poston said they've provided $1.6 million in new supplies to educators over the past two and a half years. Last year, 6,000 teachers picked up items here; through the first three weeks of this current school year, Poston noted 1,000 teachers have done so.

"We're really proud of it because it provides free classroom supplies for teachers. But at the same time, it's actually a symptom of underfunding of schools because we're having to provide school supplies so teachers don't have to buy it out of their own pocket," Poston explained.

Proffitt explained it's not just educators who are feeling the impact of the budget, but districts as well.

"Supplies, number of staff, how much those staff can be paid, infrastructure projects, resources for after-school programs, resources for sports. Literally every single thing that a school district does requires a budget," Proffitt explained.

A spokesperson for Durham Public Schools said its Chief Financial Officer will be updating its Board of Education on this topic Thursday night.

A spokesperson for State Superintendent Mo Green told ABC11 he was traveling and meeting with students, faculty, and administrators in the northeastern part of the state on Thursday and was unavailable for comment.