SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed legislation raising teachers’ minimum salary to $40,000 over four years to address a statewide shortage of classroom leaders.

The current minimum teacher salary ranges from only $9,000 to $11,000. The new law signed by Pritzker Thursday raises the minimum to $32,076 for the 2020-2021 school year, $34,576 in 2021-2022, $37,076 in 2022-2023 and $40,000 in 2023-2024. Afterward, the minimum salary will rise based on the Consumer Price Index, subject to review by the General Assembly.

Illinois State Board of Education data from the 2018-2019 school year showed 1,848 unfilled teaching positions in school districts across the state.

Former Gov. Bruce Rauner last year vetoed a bill that would have raised the minimum salary for full-time public school teachers to $40,000 within five years.

This increase aims to help rural and downstate communities.

The starting salary for most entry-level Chicago Public School teachers is about $63,000.