Broken Arrow planning to increase teacher pay
BROKEN ARROW, Okla. – While teachers across the state are enjoying summer break, educators at one Oklahoma district will return to a historic pay increase.
On Tuesday, Broken Arrow Public Schools announced that it will increase a starting teacher’s salary by nearly $3,700.
“Increasing teacher pay has been a constant focus of our Board of Education,” said Superintendent Dr. Janet Dunlop. “I commend our board members for their support and commitment to investing every additional state operational funding dollar toward teacher compensation. We are excited to be able to reward our teachers while maintaining small class sizes and direct classroom support. We appreciate our teachers’ union, BAEA, for coming to the table with this shared priority of raising teacher pay.”
Officials say the pay scales, which still need to be approved by the Broken Arrow Public School Board of Education, will provide all teachers in the district with a salary that is $1,720 above the state minimum.
The new scale would pay a teacher with a bachelor’s degree in their first year a total compensation of $41,348 including base salary, retirement contributions and life and disability insurance.
“We are so proud to make this historic investment in our teachers,” said Dunlop. “Our teachers deserve the best, and these increases will directly benefit our students in recruiting and retaining outstanding educators.”