Gov. McCrory's Budget Includes Pay Raises For Teachers, New K-12 Funding

Gov. Pat McCrory is proposing pay raises for teachers, state troopers and prison officers in the North Carolina state government budget he's recommending to the legislature.

McCrory unveiled his two-year spending plan Thursday.  The Republican governor wants to spend $21.5 billion in the year starting July 1, roughly 2 percent higher than the current plan in place.

This also includes millions in new funding for K-12 education.

Lee Roberts, North Carolina's budget director, says the governor should get support from lawmakers for his proposal to raise starting teacher salaries from $33,000 to $35,000 dollars.

“The largest discretionary priority in the budget is keeping the promise that was made in the last session to bring all teachers to a starting salary of $35,000 a year. In the governor's first term he will have spent over a billion dollars in new money in teacher pay,” says Roberts.

Gov. McCrory says he also wants experience-based raises for teachers.

The legislature will consider his spending blueprint while fashioning its own budget through mid-2017. GOP legislative leaders hope McCrory will sign any final proposal into law.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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