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Pay boost puts Durant teachers in top tier
An elementary school teacher at work in a Durant classroom. (File/KTEN)
DURANT, Okla. -- Dealing with the Oklahoma teacher shortage, Durant Public Schools hopes to recruit and retain teachers by flashing more cash.
Durant's Board of Education approved a teacher pay raise for this school year. Superintendent Duane Merideth said the salary now being offered is competitive with any district in the state, and both rookie and veteran educators qualify.
"This year the state came up with some more -- $1,220 across-the-board raise -- and with our pay scale, we really wanted to get our beginning teachers up to the $40,000 mark, and we've done that this year," Merideth said.
This pay raise places Durant schools among the top districts for teacher pay in the State of Oklahoma.