According to data published by the Missouri NEA, a teacher advocacy organization, despite an increase in elementary and secondary education spending of more than $97 million between 2008 and 2012, the average annual teacher salary increased only $2,563 to less than $46,000. During that same period, the average salary of school superintendents went up by more than $9,000 to more than $105,000 per year. School administrators’ average salary during the same period grew by more than $5,000 during the same period to more than $82,000.
SB 509 would provide a tax cut for all taxpayers out of the growth in state tax revenues. But school boards, led by superintendents and school administrators, have opposed the tax cut as a group.
“These data show some interesting facts,” said Ray McCarty, president of Associated Industries of Missouri. “While the taxpayers put an additional $97 million into education funding, the administrators and superintendents used the additional money to increase their own average pay. But the salaries of teachers grew only modestly. And teachers have the most direct impact on our children’s education.”
The Missouri Senate is currently debating an override of Governor Jay Nixon’s veto of Senate Bill 509.
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