To increase the minimum starting salary for a teacher to $50,000

HB 5239 Text

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House Bill 5239 History

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

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
2026
REGULAR SESSION

FISCAL NOTE

FISCAL NOTE

Introduced
House Bill 5239
By Delegates Hornbuckle, Lewis, and Hansen
[Introduced February 05, 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 schedule for teachers; and raising the state minimum salary for teachers to $50,000.
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
2023-2024

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

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
50,000
50,689
50,955
52,398
53,159
54,926
55,687
56,448
57,209
58,244

1
50,328
51,017
51,283
52,916
53,677
55,445
56,206
56,966
57,727
58,762

2
50,657
51,345
51,611
53,435
54,196
55,963
56,724
57,485
58,246
59,281

3
50,985
51,673
51,939
53,954
54,714
56,482
57,243
58,003
58,764
59,799

4
51,557
52,245
52,511
54,716
55,477
57,245
58,006
58,766
59,527
60,562

5
51,885
52,573
52,839
55,235
55,996
57,763
58,524
59,285
60,046
61,081

6
52,213
52,901
53,167
55,753
56,514
58,282
59,043
59,803
60,564
61,599

7
52,541
53,230
53,495
56,272
57,033
58,800
59,561
60,322
61,083
62,118

8
52,869
53,558
53,824
56,790
57,551
59,319
60,080
60,840
61,601
62,636

9
53,197
53,886
54,152
57,309
58,070
59,837
60,598
61,359
62,120
63,155

10
53,526
54,214
54,480
57,829
58,589
60,357
61,118
61,879
62,639
63,674

11
53,854
54,542
54,808
58,347
59,108
60,876
61,636
62,397
63,158
64,193

12
54,182
54,870
55,136
58,866
59,626
61,394
62,155
62,916
63,676
64,711

13
54,510
55,198
55,464
59,384
60,145
61,913
62,673
63,434
64,195
65,230

14
54,838
55,526
55,792
59,903
60,663
62,431
63,192
63,953
64,713
65,748

15
55,166
55,854
56,120
60,421
61,182
62,950
63,710
64,471
65,232
66,267

16
55,494
56,182
56,448
60,940
61,700
63,468
64,229
64,990
65,750
66,785

17
55,822
56,511
56,776
61,458
62,219
63,987
64,748
65,508
66,269
67,304

18
56,150
56,839
57,105
61,977
62,738
64,505
65,266
66,027
66,788
67,823

19
56,478
57,167
57,433
62,495
63,256
65,024
65,785
66,545
67,306
68,341

20
56,806
57,495
57,761
63,014
63,775
65,542
66,303
67,064
67,825
68,860

21
57,135
57,823
58,089
63,532
64,293
66,061
66,822
67,582
68,343
69,378

22
57,463
58,151
58,417
64,051
64,812
66,579
67,340
68,101
68,862
69,897

23
57,791
58,479
58,745
64,570
65,330
67,098
67,859
68,619
69,380
70,415

24
58,119
58,807
59,073
65,088
65,849
67,617
68,377
69,138
69,899
70,934

25
58,447
59,135
59,401
65,607
66,367
68,135
68,896
69,657
70,417
71,452

26
58,775
59,463
59,729
66,125
66,886
68,654
69,414
70,175
70,936
71,971

27
59,103
59,791
60,057
66,644
67,404
69,172
69,933
70,694
71,454
72,489

28
59,431
60,120
60,385
67,162
67,923
69,691
70,451
71,212
71,973
73,008

29
59,759
60,448
60,714
67,681
68,441
70,209
70,970
71,731
72,491
73,526

30
60,087
60,776
61,042
68,199
68,960
70,728
71,488
72,249
73,010
74,045

31
60,416
61,104
61,370
68,718
69,479
71,246
72,007
72,768
73,528
74,563

32
60,744
61,432
61,698
69,236
69,997
71,765
72,526
73,286
74,047
75,082

33
61,072
61,760
62,026
69,755
70,516
72,283
73,044
73,805
74,566
75,601

34
61,400
62,088
62,354
70,273
71,034
72,802
73,563
74,323
75,084
76,119

35
61,728
62,416
62,682
70,792
71,553
73,320
74,081
74,842
75,603
76,638

(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 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:
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 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:
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 increase the state minimum salary schedule for teachers; and to raise the state minimum salary for teachers to $50,000.
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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