LUMBERTON — A Robeson County lawmaker plans to introduce a bill in the General Assembly to restore longevity pay for teachers.
Under the legislation, teachers with a minimum of 10 years in the classroom would have a percentage of their annual salary added to their paycheck.
“Longevity pay is a great incentive to recruit and maintain the best teachers for our children,” said Rep. Charles Graham, a Democrat from Lumberton whose District 47 includes much of Robeson County.
He plans to introduce the bill this week, Graham said Tuesday.
The bonus pay was eliminated during the General Assembly’s 2013-14 session in order to fund an average 7 percent increase in teacher salaries. Teachers are the only state employees who do not currently receive longevity pay.
“The longevity pay, when it was taken away, the teachers were highly upset about that,” said Graham, a former educator.
The proposal, which would include support personnel, calls for payments, based on a teacher’s length of service, to be made annually and would reward veteran teachers for staying in the classroom longer, Graham said.
Teachers with 10 to 14 years of experience would receive 1.5 percent of their base salary; teachers with 15 to 19 years’ experience would receive 2.25 percent; 3.5 percent would be for teachers with 20 to 25 years’ experience; and 4.5 percent for 25 or more years.
“Restoring this annual financial benefit to veteran teachers will restore confidence and demonstrate to our veteran teachers that they are appreciated by this General Assembly,” Graham said. “It will benefit our veteran teachers who have demonstrated their commitment to the profession.”
North Carolina currently ranks 37th in the nation for teacher pay.
“The teachers need to now they’re appreciated in this legislature,” Graham said. “It’s a plus and a win-win for veterans. It keeps them teaching and boosts morale.”