Governor Reflects on Increases in School Funding and Educator Pay

Idaho has increased education spending by 70 percent since 2019, with average teacher salaries rising nearly 22 percent since 2021, Governor Brad Little said in a statement marking Teacher Appreciation Week.

The governor credited the funding increases with improving compensation for educators across the state. Minimum teacher salaries have risen 24.5 percent during the same period, according to the statement.

Annual Funding Increases Since 2019

In his first year as governor in 2019, Little said the state allocated $92 million for K-12 education, which included raises for starting teachers and expanded early literacy programs.

The state added $36 million in 2020 to expand career ladder funding and literacy support, followed by $87 million in 2021 that included full funding for the advanced professional rung of the career ladder.

The largest single-year increase came in 2022, when lawmakers approved $696 million for education. That year also saw a special legislative session that allocated an additional $410 million through House Bill 1. The 2022 funding enabled school districts to join the state insurance plan and provided teachers with salary increases and $1,000 bonuses.

In 2023, the state invested $653 million, which included another increase in starting teacher pay and the launch of the Idaho LAUNCH program linking education to career pathways.

The governor described 2024 as the largest education investment in state history at $1.3 billion, with a significant portion directed toward school facilities. In 2025, lawmakers added $119 million for rural school facilities, teacher pay raises, and literacy programs.

Governor’s Message to Educators

Little credited his second-grade teacher at Butte View Elementary in Emmett with inspiring his interest in reading and learning. He said Teacher Appreciation Week provides an opportunity to recognize educators with sustained investment rather than words alone.

“When we invest in teachers, we invest in student success,” Little said in the statement.

The governor acknowledged that work remains but said recent funding trends demonstrate progress in elevating the teaching profession in Idaho.