By State Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond)
Teachers play a vital role in Senate District 27, and I have made it one of my priorities to ensure they are paid fairly for the work they do to set young Hoosiers up for success.
While their pay is set by their local school districts, I was proud to sponsor a new law in 2023 that ensures at least 62% of schools' state tuition support is used for teacher salaries and benefits.
I also supported a law in 2021 that prohibited schools from reducing the total amount budgeted for teacher salaries with limited exceptions and pushed schools to set a minimum teacher salary of $40,000, a goal of which was reached by the 2023-2024 school year.
Nearly four years ago, the Next Level Teacher Compensation Commission recommended the goal of increasing the average statewide teacher salary to $60,000. I am pleased to share Indiana recently met that goal, in part because of these efforts.
According to a recent report from the state, the average annual salary for teachers in Indiana reached $60,557 during the 2023-24 school year. Including benefits, the average teacher compensation in Indiana is nearly $80,000.
The total compensation for all teachers has also surpassed $5 billion, and 98% of school districts gave teachers a raise last year.
Constituents can reach out to me with any questions or concerns they may have by filling out a "Contact Me" form on the IndianaSenateRepublicans.com/Raatz website or by phone at 800-382-9467.
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State Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond) represents Senate District 27, which includes
Henry, Union and Wayne counties, and portions of Franklin County.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
