OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma State Board of Education is asking the Legislature to approve a $2,500, across-the-board pay raise for Oklahoma teachers in next year's budget.
The board on Thursday unanimously approved the budget request, which includes a proposed $213 million for the pay raise.
The agency's overall request is for nearly $300 million new dollars, but as agencies prepare for the upcoming budget year that begins July 1, it's common for officials to request more funding than the Legislature is expected to be able to appropriate.
The state Board of Corrections is expected to consider a budget proposal later Thursday asking for a more than $84 million budget increase to cover pay raises for prison workers, to pay for the increase in the number of inmates and other costs.