State budget debate includes more wrangling over education funding

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- As the debate continued over the state budget, public education again was at the forefront.

Regardless of whether lawmakers can reach a deal on the budget, teachers will be getting a slight pay bump in July. But the governor and educators alike said they believe it's still far from what's needed to get schools in better shape.

As the House and Senate hash out potential changes to the budget, Gov. Roy Cooper released his budget a few months ago calling for an 8.5% raise for teachers plus a retention bonus.

The North Carolina Association of Educators said it believes that's a good start but that anything below that would hurt districts already stretched thin.

As it stands, they've already had to ask for more funding at the county level to make up for the lack of state funding. Take Durham County, for example, where $27 million was approved for Durham Public Schools.

"Unfortunately, we're having to have these conversations at the county level, which, if we want to ensure an equitable school districts and school, schooling for our kids, and resources for our kids across the state, we can't leave it up to which counties have the most active local union who can fight the hardest and have some available resources in their county," said Bryan Proffitt, NCAE vice president. "That's a strategy that we're using because we don't really have other choices because the state isn't funding the schools in the way that we need to, but it's not a sustainable strategy."

ABC11 reached out to both the House Speaker and Senate President's office at the state legislature but did not hear back.

As it stands, the starting teacher salary would go from $39,000 a year to $41,000 a year starting in July.