Mississippi lawmakers clarified this week which educator positions qualify for pay increases enacted during the 2026 legislative session, according to letters exchanged between the Legislature and the Mississippi Department of Education.
Lawmakers and Gov. Tate Reeves signed bills that provide a $2,000 raise for all teachers, set a $19,000 minimum salary for assistant teachers, add an extra $2,000 for special education teachers and give school attendance officers a $5,000 bump, the letters show.
The Mississippi Department of Education asked whether assistant teachers already earning the $19,000 minimum would receive an additional $2,000. Rep. Rob Roberson, chairman of the House Education Committee, told the Magnolia Tribune that lawmakers intended assistant teachers in classrooms to get the increase. The Legislature’s response said it intends to maintain existing local salary supplements and provide a $2,000 increase to the current salary of each teacher or assistant teacher.
Legislation also included a $2,000 stipend for special education teachers, with $14.6 million set aside by the Legislature. The department estimated 4,088 special education teachers qualify and asked whether the supplement also covers about 211 speech-language pathologists who serve only IDEA-eligible students, noting that “speech and language impairments may constitute a primary disability category under IDEA,” the MDE letter said. The Legislature’s response, citing an opinion from the Mississippi Office of the Attorney General, said speech-language pathologists are not eligible because state law prohibits multiple salary supplements and those employees already receive a $6,000 supplement.
The department also sought guidance on charter school teachers and whether current school attendance officers would get the new pay. The Legislature’s letter said charter school teachers are eligible for the supplements and noted that charter teachers generally must meet the same licensure requirements as district teachers. The Legislature further clarified that the $5,000 increase and revised experience-based pay scale for school attendance officers apply to current officers as well as new hires.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
