Relating to raising the state minimum salary for teachers to $50,000 beginning in school year 2026-2027

HB 4973 Text

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House Bill 4973 History

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Key:
Green
= existing Code.
Red
= new code to be enacted

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
2026
REGULAR SESSION
Introduced
House Bill 4973
By Delegates Heckert, Chiarelli, and Amos
[By Request of the State Treasurer]
[Introduced January 29, 2026; referred to the Committee on Education then Finance]
A BILL to amend and reenact §18A-4-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to raising the state minimum salary for teachers to $50,000 beginning in school year 2026-2027; updating the state minimum salary schedule to provide an additional $2,000 annual salary increase for all teachers; and providing a minimum salary increase of $1,200 for teachers providing math instruction and special education services.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 4. SALARIES, WAGES AND OTHER BENEFITS

§18A-4-2. State minimum salaries for teachers.

(a) For school year
2024-2025

2026-2027
, and continuing thereafter, each teacher shall receive the amount prescribed in the State Minimum Salary Schedule as set forth in this section, specific additional amounts prescribed in this section or article, and any county supplement in effect in a county pursuant to §18A-4-5a of this code during the contract year.
STATE MINIMUM SALARY SCHEDULE

Years Exp
4th Class
3rd Class
2nd Class
A.B.
A.B. 15
M.A.
M.A. 15
M.A. 30
M.A.
Doctorate

0
36,597
37,286
37,552
38,995
39,756
41,523
42,284
43,045
43,806
44,841

1
36,925
37,614
37,880
39,513
40,274
42,042
42,803
43,563
44,324
45,359

2
37,254
37,942
38,208
40,032
40,793
42,560
43,321
44,082
44,843
45,878

3
37,582
38,270
38,536
40,551
41,311
43,079
43,840
44,600
45,361
46,396

4
38,154
38,842
39,108
41,313
42,074
43,842
44,603
45,363
46,124
47,159

5
38,482
39,170
39,436
41,832
42,593
44,360
45,121
45,882
46,643
47,678

6
38,810
39,498
39,764
42,350
43,111
44,879
45,640
46,400
47,161
48,196

7
39,138
39,827
40,092
42,869
43,630
45,397
46,158
46,919
47,680
48,715

8
39,466
40,155
40,421
43,387
44,148
45,916
46,677
47,437
48,198
49,233

9
39,794
40,483
40,749
43,906
44,667
46,434
47,195
47,956
48,717
49,752

10
40,123
40,811
41,077
44,426
45,186
46,954
47,715
48,476
49,236
50,271

11
40,451
41,139
41,405
44,944
45,705
47,473
48,233
48,994
49,755
50,790

12
40,779
41,467
41,733
45,463
46,223
47,991
48,752
49,513
50,273
51,308

13
41,107
41,795
42,061
45,981
46,742
48,510
49,270
50,031
50,792
51,827

14
41,435
42,123
42,389
46,500
47,260
49,028
49,789
50,550
51,310
52,345

15
41,763
42,451
42,717
47,018
47,779
49,547
50,307
51,068
51,829
52,864

16
42,091
42,779
43,045
47,537
48,297
50,065
50,826
51,587
52,347
53,382

17
42,419
43,108
43,373
48,055
48,816
50,584
51,345
52,105
52,866
53,901

18
42,747
43,436
43,702
48,574
49,335
51,102
51,863
52,624
53,385
54,420

19
43,075
43,764
44,030
49,092
49,853
51,621
52,382
53,142
53,903
54,938

20
43,403
44,092
44,358
49,611
50,372
52,139
52,900
53,661
54,422
55,457

21
43,732
44,420
44,686
50,129
50,890
52,658
53,419
54,179
54,940
55,975

22
44,060
44,748
45,014
50,648
51,409
53,176
53,937
54,698
55,459
56,494

23
44,388
45,076
45,342
51,167
51,927
53,695
54,456
55,216
55,977
57,012

24
44,716
45,404
45,670
51,685
52,446
54,214
54,974
55,735
56,496
57,531

25
45,044
45,732
45,998
52,204
52,964
54,732
55,493
56,254
57,014
58,049

26
45,372
46,060
46,326
52,722
53,483
55,251
56,011
56,772
57,533
58,568

27
45,700
46,388
46,654
53,241
54,001
55,769
56,530
57,291
58,051
59,086

28
46,028
46,717
46,982
53,759
54,520
56,288
57,048
57,809
58,570
59,605

29
46,356
47,045
47,311
54,278
55,038
56,806
57,567
58,328
59,088
60,123

30
46,684
47,373
47,639
54,796
55,557
57,325
58,085
58,846
59,607
60,642

31
47,013
47,701
47,967
55,315
56,076
57,843
58,604
59,365
60,125
61,160

32
47,341
48,029
48,295
55,833
56,594
58,362
59,123
59,883
60,644
61,679

33
47,669
48,357
48,623
56,352
57,113
58,880
59,641
60,402
61,163
62,198

34
47,997
48,685
48,951
56,870
57,631
59,399
60,160
60,920
61,681
62,716

35
48,325
49,013
49,279
57,389
58,150
59,917
60,678
61,439
62,200
63,235

50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000

50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000

50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000

50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000

50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000

50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000

50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,196

50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,715

50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,198
51,233

50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,717
51,752

50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,476
51,236
52,271

50,000
50,000
50,000
50,233
50,994
51,755
52,790

50,000
50,000
50,000
50,752
51,513
52,273
53,308

50,000
50,000
50,510
51,270
52,031
52,792
53,827

50,000
50,000
51,028
51,789
52,550
53,310
54,345

50,000
50,000
51,547
52,307
53,068
53,829
54,864

50,000
50,297
52,065
52,826
53,587
54,347
55,382

50,297
50,816
52,584
53,345
54,105
54,866
55,901

50,574
51,335
53,102
53,863
54,624
55,385
56,420

51,092
51,853
53,621
54,382
55,142
55,903
56,938

51,611
52,372
54,139
54,900
55,661
56,422
57,457

52,129
52,890
54,658
55,419
56,179
56,940
57,975

52,648
53,409
55,176
55,937
56,698
57,459
58,494

53,167
53,927
55,695
56,456
57,216
57,977
59,012

53,685
54,446
56,214
56,974
57,735
58,496
59,531

54,204
54,964
56,732
57,493
58,254
59,014
60,049

54,722
55,483
57,251
58,011
58,772
59,533
60,568

55,241
56,001
57,769
58,530
59,291
60,051
61,086

55,759
56,520
58,288
59,048
59,809
60,570
61,605

56,278
57,038
58,806
59,567
60,328
61,088
62,123

56,796
57,557
59,325
60,085
60,846
61,607
62,642

57,315
58,076
59,843
60,604
61,365
62,125
63,160

57,833
58,594
60,362
61,123
61,883
62,644
63,679

58,352
59,113
60,880
61,641
62,402
63,163
64,198

58,870
59,631
61,399
62,160
62,920
63,681
64,716

59,389
60,150
61,917
62,678
63,439
64,200
65,235

(b) Six hundred dollars shall be paid annually to each classroom teacher who has at least 20 years of teaching experience. The payments: (i) Shall be in addition to any amounts prescribed in the applicable State Minimum Salary Schedule; (ii) shall be paid in equal monthly installments; and (iii) shall be considered a part of the state minimum salaries for teachers.
(c) Effective July 1, 2019, each classroom teacher providing math instruction in the teacher’s certified area of study for at least 60 percent of the time the teacher is providing instruction to students shall
receive an additional $1,200 of annual pay or
be considered to have

three additional years of experience only for the purposes of the salary schedule set forth in subsection (a) of this section
, whichever is greater
:
Provided
, That for any classroom teacher who satisfies these requirements and whose years of experience plus the three additional years due to them exceeds the years of experience provided for on the salary schedule shall be paid the additional amount equivalent to three additional years of experience notwithstanding the maximum experience provided on the salary schedule.
(d) Effective July 1, 2019, each classroom teacher certified in special education and employed as a full-time special education teacher, as defined by the State Superintendent, shall
receive an additional $1,200 of annual pay or
be considered to have three additional years of experience only for the purposes of the salary schedule set forth in subsection (a) of this section
, whichever is greater
:
Provided
, That for any classroom teacher who satisfies these requirements and whose years of experience plus the three additional years due to them exceeds the years of experience provided for on the salary schedule shall be paid the additional amount equivalent to three additional years of experience notwithstanding the maximum experience provided on the salary schedule.
(e) In accordance with §18A-4-5 of this code, each teacher shall be paid the supplement amount as applicable for his or her classification of certification or classification of training and years of experience as follows, subject to the provisions of that section:
(1) For "4th Class" at zero years of experience, $1,781. An additional $38 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including 35 years of experience;
(2) For "3rd Class" at zero years of experience, $1,796. An additional $67 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including 35 years of experience;
(3) For "2nd Class" at zero years of experience, $1,877. An additional $69 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including 35 years of experience;
(4) For "A.B." at zero years of experience, $2,360. An additional $69 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including 35 years of experience;
(5) For "A.B. + 15" at zero years of experience, $2,452. An additional $69 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including 35 years of experience;
(6) For "M.A." at zero years of experience, $2,644. An additional $69 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including 35 years of experience;
(7) For "M.A. + 15" at zero years of experience, $2,740. An additional $69 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including 35 years of experience;
(8) For "M.A. + 30" at zero years of experience, $2,836. An additional $69 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including 35 years of experience;
(9) For "M.A. + 45" at zero years of experience, $2,836. An additional $69 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including 35 years of experience; and
(10) For "Doctorate" at zero years of experience, $2,927. An additional $69 shall be paid for each year of experience up to and including 35 years of experience.
These payments: (i) Shall be in addition to any amounts prescribed in the applicable State Minimum Salary Schedule, any specific additional amounts prescribed in this section and article and any county supplement in effect in a county pursuant to §18A-4-5a of this code; (ii) shall be paid in equal monthly installments; and (iii) shall be considered a part of the state minimum salaries for teachers.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to establish a minimum salary of $50,000 for teachers and providing at least a $2,000 salary increase for all teachers.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.

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