STATEWIDE – Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) held a press conference, April 26, for Assembly Bill 938, a measure that would establish state funding targets to raise teacher and school employee salaries by 50 percent by 2030.

“We need to pay our teachers and essential school staff what they deserve,” said Muratsuchi. “Schools across the state are facing a workforce shortage, with many teachers and school employees unable to afford to live in the communities they work in.”

According to Muratsuchi, there is a growing wage gap between teachers and comparable college graduates in other fields. AB 938 would create state Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) funding targets over a seven-year period. 

Local Control Funding Formula

The LCFF determines how much money is allocated to districts and charter schools. The intent would be to increase school-site staff salaries by 50 percent by 2030. Although the bill comes with a strong recommendation that school districts spend this additional state funding on salaries, it is not a requirement.

“It is intentionally drafted as ‘intent’ language rather than a mandate, in order to give district’s flexibility to increase staff salaries, benefits, as well as pay for other essential school functions,” said Muratsuchi’s Communications Director Kerry Jacob.

The bill has support from California Federation of Teachers, California Teachers Association and the California School Employees Association. WalletHub ranks California #40 for States with the Best and Worst School Systems listing quality and safety as determining factors.

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The Committee on Appropriations is scheduled to hear AB 938 on May 1, 2023.

To read the full Assembly Bill 938 visit https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB938