CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After the North Carolina house and senate released two separate budgets this week, the house speaker told WCNC's Flashpoint that teacher pay raises are a priority.
"A starting teacher in North Carolina starting salary right now is $39,000, we have the ability to increase that up to $44,000," Speaker Tim Moore said.
Moore cited the state's $1 billion surplus as a source for the funding.
"When we're putting so much money into the Opportunity Scholarships, which is absolutely great program, I think it's important that we not leave the traditional K 12 schools behind," he said.
Opportunity Scholarships is the state's voucher program. Both the House and Senate budgets fully fund the program to get rid of a backlog of applicants.
The NC Senate's version doesn't include any pay raises for public school employees or state workers. If a compromise isn't found between the House and Senate, a previously-passed budget will go into a effect that still includes a smaller pay increase for teacher and state workers.
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