Gov. John Baldacci’s proposal to raise the starting teacher salary in Maine to $30,000 will cost the state $4 million in the first year, but the ripple effect on salaries of teachers already in the system will increase not just state costs but the amount cities and towns have to contribute.

And that flies in the face of one of the governor’s most often repeated election-year promises that increased state aid to local education will reduce property taxes.

“It’s a contradiction in the governor’s proposal to make sure the education dollars go to property tax relief when at the same time he’s forcing teacher salaries up,” said Sen. Richard Nass, R-York.

“It’s a very mixed message,” agreed Geoff Herman of the Maine Municipal Association, especially when cities and town are being asked to hold the line on spending.

“Mandating a minimum salary would have an impact on the entire salary matrix,” he said. “It’s putting into motion a proposal that would significantly increase the costs of providing education.”

The plan, which was announced in Baldacci’s State of the State address last week and included in his supplemental budget, would affect an estimated 2,500 teachers currently making below $30,000, according to the state Department of Education.

The state will pay for the first year of the starting salary increase – for an estimated cost of $4 million. Going forward, however, the cost of raising starting salaries would be shared by the state and local school districts and it most likely will affect salaries up the seniority line.

Few question the need to address teacher salaries in the state; Maine starting salaries for teachers are among the lowest in the nation. The question is where is the money going to come from?

“The issue is going to be what is the impact on the salary schedule?” said Dale Douglass of the Maine School Management Association, which represents school superintendents and local school boards. “Is the rest of the scale going to have to be adjusted correspondingly?”

Douglass said his phone started ringing the day after the governor’s address.

“The boards and superintendents want to know what the cost of that’s going to be,” he said, using the example of a teacher with two years experience currently making $30,500, who likely will want a raise as well.

Rob Walker of the Maine Education Association supports the salary increase and said, “if superintendents hadn’t been so effective in suppressing teacher salaries,” there would be no need to jump up the base.

“We’re addressing beginning teachers’ salary because that’s where the worst problem is, but we’re not much better off as far as the average teacher salary either,” Walker said. He said the low salaries are pushing teachers out of Maine and into neighboring New England states.

As for whether raising the base would increase all salaries up the line, Walker said, “That’s a possibility, but all of that is handled at the local level.”

Jim Rier, a policy director in the Department of Education, said local salaries will not be determined by the state, except for the starting base. “We’re not mandating other than the beginning salary.”

If local school districts decide to negotiate higher salaries as a result of the higher base, he said the state will share in those increased costs, ultimately picking up 55 percent of the total cost of education statewide by 2008 under state law passed last year.

“Next year’s funding will be driven by new salaries,” Rier said, both at the state and local level.

According to a report done by the state Board of Education, which advises the state Department of Education, Maine ranks 35th in the nation in average teacher salaries and 47th in beginning teacher salaries.

“The level of compensation for Maine teachers is a major impediment to attracting and retaining superior teachers,” the report says. “Of equal concern is a compensation structure that treats all teachers the same rather than rewarding teachers on a basis of performance as measured in part by student learning and the nature of responsibilities.”

Baldacci did not address the pay-for-performance issue.

“There was no discussion about merit-pay for good teachers,” said Rep. David Bowles, the head of the Republicans in the House, who called Baldacci’s plan a piecemeal approach to the problem.