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Big Indiana Teacher Rally Not Prompting Immediate GOP Action

Michael Conroy/AP Photo

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Several thousand teachers are set to descend on the Indiana Statehouse to push for further increasing teacher pay, although top Republicans are throwing cold water on the prospect of more state money for schools in the coming year.

Teacher unions say about half of Indiana’s nearly 300 school districts will be closed Tuesday while their teachers attend the rally on the day legislators are gathering for 2020 session organization meetings.

Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma said Monday that no additional spending will likely be taken up in 2020 after a new two-year state budget was approved in April boosting base school spending by 2.5% both years.

Teacher unions say members are frustrated over seeing little or no pay raises in a decade but face additional demands from the state.