SPRINGFIELD, Ill. � A bill that would require a $40,000 minimum salary for teachers passed the Illinois House of Representatives Tuesday evening with a vote of 79-31.
According to the ABC affiliate in Springfield, WICS, modifies the current school code, which sets the minimum salary for teachers in Illinois at $10,000 a year for those with a bachelor’s degree and $11,000 a year for those with a master’s degree.
The bill phases in the pay raises for full-time teachers starting with a minimum of $32,076 for the 2020-2021 school year, $34,576 for the 2021-2022 school year, Â $37,076 for the 2022-2023 school year, and $40,000 for the 2023-2024 school year.
It now goes to the state Senate. The bill passed last year but was vetoed by Governor Bruce Rauner.
Rep. Katie Stuart (D- Collinsville) sponsored the bill. She said in a press release her ultimate goal in proposing the bill was to help solve the teacher shortage in Illinois, "I was a teacher. I know how important it is that teachers feel valued, that teachers earn a decent living. A good teacher can make a huge impact on a student’s life. Every adult can point to a teacher who had influence on his or her life. It’s imperative that we continue to attract the best and brightest to this profession. This bill works toward that goal."
According to WICS, The Illinois State Board of Education says fewer than 8,000 of the state’s 130,000 teachers make less than $40,000.
