Tennessee governor proposes $117M for teacher pay raises

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Republican Gov. Bill Lee says his plan to funnel an additional $117 million in K-12 teacher salaries would be the largest investment in teacher pay in Tennessee history.

Lee made the announcement Monday during his second annual address in front of lawmakers.

Under Lee’s proposed teacher pay plan, the starting minimum annual salary for teachers would increase from $36,000 to $40,000 over the next two years.

The total budget plan under the governor’s spending plan would be $40.8 billion for the upcoming fiscal year 2020-21 which begins in July or about 3.7 percent more than the year before.