Ellington

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A proposal to increase Mississippi teachers' pay is advancing at the state Capitol.

Senate Bill 2001 passed the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, six days after it cleared the Education Committee. The bill will go to the full Senate for more debate, although it was not immediately clear what day that will happen.

The bill would give certified teachers with three or more years of experience a $1,000 pay increase.

Teachers with two years of experience and less would get a $1,110 bump, bringing them to a starting salary of $37,000 a year. Assistant teachers would receive a $1,000 pay increase.

The bill is similar to legislation proposed last year that was stalled after the coronavirus pandemic created uncertainty about state spending.

Mississippi has had some of the lowest teacher salaries in the nation for generations. According to the most recent figures available from the Southern Regional Education Board, the average teacher salary in the U.S. for 2018-19 was $62,304. For Mississippi, the average was $45,105.