WREG.com

Mississippi teacher pay raise plan headed to governor

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves speaks about his policy priorities and the state's coronavirus pandemic response during his State of the State speech on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, on the south steps of the state Capitol in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

JACKSON, Miss.— Mississippi legislators have agreed on a teacher pay raise plan, and it will head to Gov. Tate Reeves.

The Republican governor said earlier this year that he would sign any teacher pay raise bill that lands on his desk. House Bill 852 would give most teachers a $1,000 pay raise. Newer teachers would get $1,100.


The House passed the final version of the bill Thursday.

Mississippi has long had some of the lowest teacher salaries in the nation. According to the Southern Regional Education Board, the average teacher salary in the U.S. for 2018-19 was $62,304. For Mississippi, the average was $45,105.