COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - A South Carolina House committee has approved a bill to reinstate some teacher raises into this year’s budget.
The House Ways and Means Committee voted unanimously Thursday to advance the bill to the full House.
The bill would restore “step increase” raises for teachers, which amount to several hundred dollars a year given annually as teachers gain experience.
The bill would dedicate about $50 million to restoring the raises for the current school year, though lawmakers say that number is currently a placeholder until they determine what the actual cost of the raises would be from school districts.
Lawmakers paused the raises last spring due to uncertainty of what the COVID-19 pandemic might do to the economy.
“We’re honoring commitments we made end of last year,” said Ways and Means Chairman Murrell Smith.
The committee also advanced legislation to increase charter school funding Thursday.
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