Bill to increase starting teacher pay applauded by local educators
ALEXANDRIA — Legislation currently under consideration in the Indiana House of Representatives that would increase minimum salaries for the state's teachers and expand health care services for school corporation employees is enjoying widespread support among those in the profession, including several local educators.
Senate Bill 146, authored by state Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger, would increase minimum teacher salaries to $45,000 from $40,000. It would also require districts to spend at least 65% of their state tuition support on teacher compensation.
The bill unanimously passed the Senate Committee on Education and Career Development and has been referred to the Indiana House for further debate.
J.T. Morgan, a fourth-grade teacher at Alexandria Elementary School, said teacher salaries and difficulties in retaining teachers frequently go hand in hand.
'Any time you can increase the minimum salary, I think that is fantastic,' Morgan said. 'Obviously, in the last several years, public education has struggled with retaining teachers and we need to fix that. Salary, of course, is a part of it.'
Alexandria has around 100 certified teachers for the elementary and the high school combined, with a current starting salary of $48,700.
Brent Baker, the superintendent for Alexandria Community Schools, said increasing the minimum salary for teachers would help decrease some financial stress.
'Teachers need to be able to have a job where they can dedicate their time to their craft and to their classroom and to their students,' Baker said. 'They shouldn't have to worry about working a second job to pay the bills.'
Baker said that although Alexandria schools are not currently struggling to find teachers, 'any time we can increase teacher pay, we should look into it.'
While lauding the idea of increasing teachers' minimum salary, Morgan wondered what can be done for longer tenured educators.
'We want to bring up the minimum salary, which I think is great,' Morgan said, 'but I think we also have to remember the teachers who have given years of experience. What are we doing for those teachers to retain them and to make them feel the worth from a financial perspective as well?'
Morgan, who has worked as a teacher since 2003, also wondered, with inflation and the cost of living rising, how comparable his starting salary would be from 2003 to 2025.
Frankton-Lapel Community Schools has 173 certified staff members, with a starting pay of $43,250 for the 2024-25 school year.
Sterling Boles, the superintendent at FLCS, said the school corporation is currently fully staffed. He said the current legislation will help administrators create and maintain environments that would both attract new teachers and help the district hold on to well-performing ones.
'With its focus on increasing teacher pay, (SB 146) would have a positive impact on our school corporation by helping us remain competitive in attracting and retaining high-quality educators,' Boles said. 'Increased salaries would make our district more appealing to new teachers entering the profession and could also encourage experienced educators to stay, reducing turnover.'
South Madison Community Schools currently employs approximately 265 teachers, with a starting pay of $50,000.
Superintendent Mark Hall said that while South Madison is always on the lookout or teachers, administrators did not have trouble filling spots for the current school year. He said the district favors increased funding for teacher salaries, viewing the measure as an investment in the district's students as well.
'I think any time we can increase funding for our teachers, that is important,' Hall said. 'I think the 65%, spending that on teacher compensation, I think that just guarantees that school districts are putting their money where it should be, which is in their teaching staffs.'
Morgan said that the emotional side of teaching is what a lot of teachers enjoy the most about the profession.
'When you have been teaching as long as some of our veteran teachers have, you are doing this because of the love you have for your students and for their successes in the classroom as well as out of the classroom,' he said. 'I tell my students all the time, 'I am here because I love and care about you and want you to be well-rounded individuals when you step out of this building.'
'We are trying to prepare them for the real world and even though my students are just fourth graders, we are laying that groundwork for them now.'
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