The Legislature gave a 4 percent increase in the weighted pupil unit, the state's basic per-student funding formula that traditionally sets the pace for teacher raises. The money is making extra raises possible — sort of. Much of those monies are being eaten up by health insurance, pay raises for school support staff and leaders, White said.

Also, teacher raises will be different, percentage-wise.

Jordan District's teacher compensation is up 12.7 percent in terms of costs to the district, spokesman Mike Kelley reported. But not all teachers will get a 12 percent raise.

For instance, a $2,500 raise for a teacher making $50,000 is a 5 percent increase, but for a starting teacher, it could be a 10 percent raise.

The idea is to get the beginning teacher salaries up so Utah is better able to attract young professionals, who often are pulled to other states with better pay and signing bonuses.

Utah has the nation's lowest per-student funding in the country.

Still, veteran teachers are not walking away empty-handed.

Granite teachers, for instance, all got a 2.25 percent raise on top of the $1,938, giving beginning teachers a 9 percent raise and veteran teachers a 5.5 percent raise, said Granite Education Association executive director Star Orullian. The board of education also reduced class sizes, allowing principals to hire up to one half-time teacher, she said.

"We had a good year," she said.

Davis School District is offering teachers a 3.95 percent raise or $1,938, whichever is greater, essentially giving veteran teachers a little more money, White said.

Salt Lake City teacher raises range from 5 to 10 percent, thanks to an additional 1 percent raise, said Elaine Tzourtzouklis, executive director of Wasatch UniServ, which includes Salt Lake, Tooele and Murray education associations. Murray teachers, in a tentative agreement, also would get at least a 5 percent raise, she said.

"We still wish the Legislature would let us have that as a WPU and let us work out with our districts in how we would like that paid," Tzourtzouklis said. "We're not saying we didn't want them to give us money; we're just hoping next year, they'll put it as a percentage and let us work it out."

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