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RALEIGH — Public school teachers' raises would be tied in part to how well the economy performs this summer and fall under a state budget plan Senate leaders offered Tuesday.

The House has already passed its version of the $21.4 billion state budget. Senators will finish their draft this week before the two chambers work out a final compromise by July.

Like budget writers in the House, Senators proposed giving teachers an average salary increase of 3 percent, which Gov. Mike Easley has decried as too low. But the Senate budget proposal, which the full chamber will hear today, creates a way to boost teacher salaries further.

If tax revenues are higher than anticipated by the end of October, the governor can use half of the extra money to raise teacher salaries toward the national average.

"Clearly, we are disappointed that the House and the Senate did not recognize the governor's urgency to move our teacher salaries to the national average," said Mark Jewell, president of the Guilford County Association of Educators.

He said salaries in North Carolina lag behind those of neighboring states, making it difficult to recruit teachers and creating a shortage that will worsen as large numbers of teachers retire in the next few years.

Improving teachers' salaries to meet the national average has long been a stated goal of the governor and legislators from both parties. Easley had proposed raising teacher salaries by 7 percent in his budget plan and did not fully embrace the Senate's approach Tuesday.

"We have a lot of work to do," Easley said in an e-mailed statement. "We hope we can make more progress in conference after everybody quits fighting over the money we don't have."

Sen. Phil Berger, an Eden Republican who represents parts of Guilford County, said members of his party had little chance to review the budget before it was voted on in committee.

Republicans met Tuesday to discuss possible amendments to offer today.

"Overall spending is more in keeping with what we would advocate," he said. High inflation and a struggling economy have forced the Democrats to limit spending, but he said the government could do even more to limit the budget growth.

"I don't know that I want to give the Democrats credit for that," Berger said.

Several local projects also get money in the Senate's version of the budget, including:

* $100,000 in matching funds to the High Point Area Arts Council for the John Coltrane Music Hall in the planned Community Arts Center. The center will be built on High Point's Main Street once funds are secure.

Debbie Lumpkins, executive director of the arts council, said the group has requested matching funds for the music facility since 2005. The House did not include money for the hall in its budget.

"We just want to preserve the music of John Coltrane by teaching today's students," she said. "It really is an arts-education music center."

Internationally acclaimed saxophonist Coltrane grew up in High Point.

* $500,000 for the International Civil Rights Center and Museum in downtown Greensboro. That's double the amount the House included.

* $1.47 million to promote the High Point Market, the same amount the House would provide to help fend off a rival market in Las Vegas.

* $2.3 million to renovate the polar bear exhibit at the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro. A similar appropriation to renovate a pavilion for African species that was part of the House budget was not included.

Staff writer Mark Binker contributed.

Contact Emily Stephenson at 373-7080 or emily.stephenson@news-record.com