Educational Funding

The Legislature approved a $66 million increase in public school funding for FY 2015 that begins Jul 1, 2014. This includes:

• A $1.7 billion budget; a 5.1 percent increase in state general fund spending. • $35 million for operations funding, a 12 percent increase over 2014.

• $13.9 million in ongoing new funding for teacher salaries; a 1 percent increase in base salary and raises the minimum teacher salary from $31,000 to $31,750.
• An additional $15.8 million in ongoing funding for teacher leadership “premiums” awards and reverses $35 million in cuts that school districts absorbed during the Great Recession.
• An operational funding increase per classroom unit from $20,000 to $22,401.

  • $8 million for classroom technology.
  • $12.15 million for teachers’ professional development.
  • $5 million in one-time funding for content and curriculum materials.
  • $2.25 million in one-time funding for Wi-Fi installation.
  • $4.5 million to continue a statewide instructional management system. !