The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia Bill HB 4973 establishes a $50,000 minimum salary and a $2,000 raise for teachers starting in the 2026-2027 school year
Last action · January 29, 2026: To House EducationSponsors: Scot Heckert and 2 others
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Proposed
West Virginia House Bill 4973 raises the state minimum salary for teachers to $50,000 beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, updates the to provide a general $2,000 annual increase, and maintains a $1,200 annual increase for math and special education teachers.
- House Bill 4973 was introduced during the 2026 Regular Session of the West Virginia Legislature at the request of the State Treasurer. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
teachers
math instructors
Math teachers instructing for at least 60 percent of their time receive an additional $1,200 annual pay or three additional years of experience credit.
special education teachers
Full-time certified special education teachers receive an additional $1,200 annual pay or three additional years of experience credit.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do math and special education teachers receive extra pay under this bill?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
4 actions- Jan 29, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Education
- Jan 29, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced in House
- Jan 29, 2026HouseCommitteeTo Education then Finance
- Jan 29, 2026HouseIntroducedFiled for introduction
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Establishment of $50,000 State Salary Floor
The measure shifts state education policy by creating a universal minimum baseline compensation of $50,000 for certified teachers.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 80)
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz45Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools