DESE to approve fiscal year 2025 budget Tuesday

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

On Tuesday, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will meet to approve the fiscal year 2025 budget.

The budget could include spending over $29 million to help with teacher retention across the state. This comes after DESE reported that more than half of teachers in Missouri leave teachers by their fifth year. This issue also led to the state approving a salary grant for the 2023-2024 school year that would raise teacher pay to a minimum of $38,000.

The board will also discuss approving a career ladder for teachers. This would mean that the state would put aside money that could be used toward providing teachers who volunteer, or have extra responsibilities to be compensated for doing so.

That would cost the state over $31 million, if approved during Tuesday's meeting.

The board will also discuss transportation efforts that would cost over $346 million, as well as a $50 million school safety grant.

The meeting is scheduled for 8:30 Tuesday morning at the State Office Building in Jefferson city.