Legislators lay out education priorities ahead of upcoming session

The Legislative Education Study Committee on Thursday laid out several draft bills for consideration as the Roundhouse gears up for the 30-day session beginning in January.

One of the most eye-catching draft bills the LESC endorsed would again increase the minimum salaries of educational assistants, and provide a 2½-fold minimum pay bump for all public school employees in general.

According to some of the legislation the bill would amend, all public school employees are guaranteed a minimum wage of $6 per hour, though there is no set minimum salary. The bill, if passed, would bump that up to $15 per hour, and establish a $30,000 minimum salary for full-time employees.