May 3, 2018 / Modified may 3, 2018 9:54 a.m.

Gov. Ducey Signs Bill Putting Teacher Raises in State Budget

The education budget provides raises for teachers but does not restore funding striking educators asked for.

Duce education budget Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signs a bill early in the morning of May 2, 2018, putting 19 percent teacher raises into the Arizona budget over the following three school years.
Gov. Doug Ducey via Twitter

State lawmakers passed the education budget in the early hours of Thursday, and Gov. Doug Ducey signed the bill just after 6 a.m.

"It's a good way to start the day," he said in a video posted on Twitter.

The bill gives teachers a 19 percent raise over the next three school years. Coupled with the 1 percent raise last year, the raise for teachers totals 20 percent.

The bill also has money for school districts in it.

"$100 million for support staff and additional things inside our K-12 education system," said Ducey.

Teachers wanted more than raises. They also wanted a restoration of $1 billion in lost funding.

No House Democrats voted for the education bill. They said the budget failed teachers.

Four Democrats in the Senate did vote for the proposal, including Sen. Steve Farley, Sen. David Bradley and Sen. Andrea Dalessandro.

They thanked teachers for the action and said the raise would not have happened without the #RedforEd movement.

School Closures

Tucson Unified School District OPEN Sunnyside Unified School District OPEN Marana Unified School District OPEN Amphitheater Public Schools OPEN Catalina Foothills School District OPEN Tanque Verde Unified School District OPEN Sahuarita Unified School District OPEN Flowing Wells Unified School District OPEN Vail School District OPEN Altar Valley School District OPEN Ajo Unified School District OPEN Baboquivari Unified School District OPEN Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and Blind — Tucson OPEN Pima JTED OPEN Sierra Vista Unified School District OPEN
Education Funding in Arizona
Stories on the statewide debate over teacher pay and education funding. Read more coverage here.
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