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(INDIANAPOLIS) – It’s the Senate’s turn to look at ways to raise teacher pay, but their approach is likely to be similar to the House:

Republican leaders have consistently said they won’t order school districts to do anything. The House voted to give schools a target of spending 85{33c7a55facb4cf7a957787771078960a6f8f21e4360f0c5ef574af68d5180089} of their budgets in the classroom. Senate President Pro Tem Rod Bray stops short of endorsing that bill outright, but he says it’s a workable approach. he says schools may have good reasons they can’t hit that number, but the bill would make that discussion transparent.

Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane isn’t dismissing the bill, but says if budgeters don’t give schools enough money to begin with, it’s not fair to blame school districts for tightening belts.

The House also passed a bill authorizing “career ladders” to pay veteran teachers more for acting as mentors. And the House-passed budget includes a request from Governor Holcomb to fully fund local pension liabilities, a step expected to free up $70 million a year for teacher pay.
 

Senate President Pro Tem Rod Bray (R-Martinsville) (Photo: Eric Berman/WIBC)