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By Rocio Hernandez | KUER/NPR
As Utah faces an ongoing teacher shortage, a growing number of school districts are looking to bump up salaries as a way to recruit and retain educators.
The latest is Ogden School District, whose board approved a 5.7% pay increase for its educators during a special session Monday afternoon. That will bring up the starting salary for new Ogden district teachers from $42,172 to $45,472.
This recent pay bump for Utah teachers is part of a movement among local school districts that’s been going on for three years.
“I think it’s an unprecedented moment and I think it’s maybe an important moment in terms of getting teachers a salary for a career that is commensurate with other professions,” said Shawn Teigen, vice president and director of research for Utah Foundation which published a report Utah teacher pay last month.
Four other school districts have recently approved their own teacher pay raises including:
