OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A $1,200, across-the-board pay boost for Oklahoma teachers is moving quickly toward new Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, who has made the pay raise one of his top priorities for public education.
The Oklahoma House voted unanimously on Thursday for House Bill 1780 , which now heads to the Senate where it’s expected to pass and be sent to Stitt, who is expected to sign it into law.
The $1,200 pay hike would cost the state a little more than $70 million annually, which includes expected costs for retirement, Medicare and Social Security benefits.
The pay boost is an addition to an average annual raise of $6,100 that teachers received last year from lawmakers who were trying to avert a statewide teacher walkout that happened anyway .
