The Department of Education in American Samoa estimates it will cost nearly nine and a half million US dollars to fund the teachers' pay scale hike proposed in a Senate bill, that sets the salaries for public school teachers as well as detailing their qualifications.
The department estimates that four point four million of the funds needed will come from local money for 686 teachers while 4.9 million US dollars will come from federal grants for 432 teachers.
The Education director, Dr. Claire Poumele, told the Senate committee that the department wanted to see the bill passed , making the local pay scale competitive with teachers' salaries in other U.S. jurisdictions such as Hawaii, Guam and Saipan.
The committee agreed that a funding source will need to be addressed before the measure is passed.
The Senate will take up review of the bill when the Fono returns in July.
