Missouri educators say new minimum salary good start, not enough | Mid-Missouri News [Video]

HARRISBURG — Several education laws take effect Wednesday, including raising Missouri’s starting pay for teachers from $25,000 to $40,000. The law aims to help more people choose teaching as a profession amidst a statewide teacher shortage.

The law does not include guaranteed funding from the state to pay teachers more, however.

When the state does not allocate more funding directly to schools, it falls on the districts to cover the bigger salaries.

Some Mid-Missouri educators say that while the change is helpful, there’s still more to be done. 

“When I was a principal, if you open up a job you might get 10 or 20 applicants,” Harrisburg Superintendent Steve Combs said. “Now, you’re lucky if you get three or four.”

The Harrisburg School District already offers $44,000 as a starting salary to its educators. Combs says this has been a priority for its school board in order to make the district more …