The state education budget proposal approved by a committee on Monday unfreezes a grid system that helps set teacher pay.

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee passed the $1.3 billion spending plan for fiscal year 2014, a 2.2 percent increase over last year, on a 15-5 vote. The proposal still must be approved by the Legislature.

Budget writers favored halting a 2-year-old freeze on the teacher experience grid system that helps determine pay and costs $11.3 million.

The proposal also dedicates up to $21 million for local districts to reward employee achievement, restores about $15 million to base salaries, and hikes first-year teacher minimum pay to $31,000, from $30,500.

"It is good to see an increase in funding after years of budget cuts," said Tom Taggart, Lakeland School District finance director. "It appears to take some big steps in restoring some of the reductions to employees. I feel this is as good of a budget we could have expected considering the state of the economy and the makeup of the Legislature."

Sid Armstrong, the Post Falls School District's business director, said the proposal is a step in the right direction as multiple areas in the budget will be addressed.

"We have struggled to stay ahead of issues for the past four years as we have had to defer many maintenance projects," he said. "This should allow us to start to address some of the facility issues."

The panel's majority rejected a separate plan that left the grid system freeze intact, while giving districts more money to spend at their discretion - provided it didn't go to personnel.

Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, said he's pleased education funding is proposed to increase, but he disagrees with some points in the proposal.

"It is against sound budgeting procedures to use one-time money to fund the ongoing expense of the steps (that help determine teacher pay)," he said.

Goedde said the funding of the experience steps will only impact about 30 percent of educators.

"I would rather have seen every teacher's contract extended by three days to give them additional professional development opportunities," he said. "Some Coeur d'Alene schools have had great success by giving teachers time to share methods and experiences and it would have been good for the state to accept the financial burden for this."

Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, a former high school math teacher, said the freeze has resulted in experienced teachers with master's degrees potentially sacrificing a significant share of their wages, some $9,000 over the past three years, according to her calculations.

"We need to shine a light on how we compensate our experienced teachers - I think we haven't given them enough," Ringo said. "Still, looking at the two motions, restoring the steps means a great deal."

Foes of the proposal objected to unfreezing the grid system. Some conservatives object because it pays teachers based on experience, not classroom performance.

Sen. Cliff Bayer, R-Boise, also worried this measure is unfair to other state employees whose wages aren't slated for an increase. By Bayer's estimate, state funding for teacher pay would rise 6 percent, under the plan that cleared the committee.

"We're just putting money... where I see too much of a displacement here all at once," he said.

The proposal includes up to $21 million for teachers and administrators where students meet objective measures of growth in districts with school board-approved achievement plans. Some of the money - up to $8 million - could also be used for professional development for teachers.

"It is good to see an understanding that our staffs will need time and training to properly implement the new Common Core Standards," Taggart said.

The plan also includes $13.4 million for technology upgrades.

Taggart said districts continue to struggle with the costs of operations such as utilities and insurance.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.