POLITICS + GOVERNMENT

Bill introduced to keep teacher salary increases on pace with inflation

SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah lawmaker has filed a bill to make recent teacher salary increases adjust every year for inflation. The bill is meant to be a companion to the school choice bill that created a voucher program and increased teacher salaries.

Sen. Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City, is running the bill, S.B. 183.

The school choice bill, signed into law on Jan. 28, gave teachers a $6,000 flat increase. Vickers’ bill would allow salaries to go up in order to match inflation. Salaries would increase the same amount as the WPU goes up.

The salary increase bill would allow the 2008 Teacher Salary Supplement program to make the same adjustments. That program provides a $4,100 salary increase to educators.

For the Teacher Salary Supplement program, there was a rule that one negative evaluation would disqualify a teacher from getting the $4,100 increase. But Vickers’ bill would change that to a three-strike policy instead.

 Senate leaders say other companion bills are coming to address other areas of the voucher bill.

Related:

• New bill could disrupt signature-gathering path to Utah’s ballot

• New bill protects student-athletes right to wear religious clothing