The Little Rock School District has proposed a teacher raise of $1,135 per teacher for the upcoming 2019-20 school year that will increase the beginning salary from $34,865 to $36,000.
Superintendent Mike Poore submitted the proposal Monday to Arkansas Education Commissioner Johnny Key who acts as the school board in the state-controlled school district that does not have an elected school board.
The proposed raise -- which amounts to about a 3 percent increase to the starting salary -- would be the first increase to the teacher salary schedule in the capital city district since 2013-14, according to information Poore sent to Key.
District teachers did receive a $1,000 one-time bonus in 2017-18 and eligible employees have received annual step increases for each additional year of experience.
Poore said in his memo to Key that the $1,1350 -- negotiated with the Little Rock Education Association that represents teachers and support staff in the school system -- was made possible by Gov. Asa Hutchinson and the Legislature's support earlier this year of a new law to raise teachers' salaries.
The agreement with the association falls short of a three-year agreement that had been a goal of district leaders and the association, Poore also said.