TULSA, Okla. — Oklahoma Senate Education Chairman Adam Pugh and Appropriations Chairman Chuck Hall have announced a plan to raise teacher pay without raising taxes, but a retired Oklahoma teacher says the proposal could hurt retirees and future educators.
The plan would spend $254 million on education, including a $2,500 pay raise for teachers, by capping the state's annual contribution to the Teachers' Retirement System.
WATCH: 'A SLAP IN THE FACE': Oklahoma Senate plan to redirect retirement funds for teacher pay raises
The projections for 2027 is the system would have $454 million. The Senate says it would cap contributions at $200 million, redirecting the remaining $254 million toward education.
The $254 million will go to fund the following:
- $2,500 teacher pay raise- $117 million
- Reading Sufficiency Act- $50 million
- Additional funding to the formula- $29.8 million
- Literacy coaches- $10 million
- Math coaches- $10 million
Senate leaders say the Teachers' Retirement System is now stable enough that the extra $254 million could go toward the education plan.
This plan protects the retirement system while allowing us to meet urgent needs in our classrooms today.
But retired teacher Janet Brewster disagrees.
"And that's what I mean, it was kind of a slap in the face," Brewster said.
Brewster taught for 37 years in Miami and Broken Arrow Public Schools and is now 13 years into retirement. She is worried that reducing future contributions, even to a healthy system, could create problems down the road.
"We can't afford to. Harm the teacher retirement system, and this is doing it harm," Brewster said.
The Teachers' Retirement System is a pension plan. Retired teachers receive a monthly check for the rest of their lives, based on a set formula. Brewster said she is concerned that reducing state contributions could threaten the system's ability to keep that promise over the long term.
"But it's a promise that they gave to us, and they need to keep that promise, and they need to keep it solid," Brewster said.
Brewster said she hopes lawmakers will rethink the proposal.
"We need to maintain our retirement system so that we can maintain educators, uh, in the school systems currently. As well as keep the promise of retired educators," Brewster said.
2 News reached out to Senator Pugh for an interview, but has not heard back.
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