PAGO PAGO, American Samoa — About 400 of American Samoa's 900 public school teachers are to receive their first pay raises in more than a decade, officials said.

They are contained in the Teacher Reclassification Act, which was signed into law Thursday by Gov. Togiola Tulafono.

"This bill will help to improve the profession as well as the individuals who choose to make education their lifelong career," Tulafono said. "It is the sincere hope of the administration to provide a stable environment that rewards excellence, professional development and good attendance for our teachers."

Absenteeism among teachers is currently 30 percent, he said.

For many years the teachers in the U.S. territory have been undercompensated and unrecognized for the good service they provide, Tulafono said.

"We have not offered our teachers that which they truly deserve, which is compensation based on experience and performance," he said. "We have also neglected to reward their good work by not improving their wages, and failed to provide incentives for professional development," he said.

Annual salaries will range from a low of about $13,000 up to more than $25,000 for teachers considered "highly qualified" under the federal No Child Left Behind law.

Department of Education Director Claire T. Poumele said under the reclassification, new teachers starting in August with a bachelor's degree will have a beginning salary of over $17,000, "a significant increase" compared with the current level of about $13,200 annually.

The hourly minimum wage for government workers in the U.S. territory rose last month to $3.91. The U.S. minimum wage increased last year to $5.85 an hour.

Located about 3,700 miles southwest of Hawaii, American Samoa has 23 elementary schools and six high schools, with a total enrollment of about 20,000 in the school year that ended Friday