Friday, February 14, 2025
Our teachers play a crucial role in preparing the next generation of Hoosiers for success.
It's important to ensure our teachers feel supported and appreciated for all their hard work and dedication, which is why this year, Senate Republicans are supporting a bill that would increase the starting salary for Hoosier teachers from $40,000 to $45,000.
If a school district does not reach a $45,000 minimum salary for its teachers, it would need to submit a report to the Indiana Department of Education explaining why it cannot meet that threshold.
Senate Bill 146 would also increase the share of state tuition support funding that schools must spend on teacher compensation from 62% to 65%.
Senate Republicans have championed many efforts to provide more support for our current teachers and encourage new educators to come to Indiana to help our schools grow.
In the past four years, we've increased K-12 funding by $4.8 billion, and we've provided enough funding to reach Indiana's goal of raising the average teacher salary to $60,000.
Last year, we passed a law that provided a 13th check to retired teachers and laid the groundwork for a stable, long-term plan to fund annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) or 13th checks going forward.
Additionally in 2024, we passed a law that allows any balance remaining in the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship fund at the end of a fiscal year to fund additional Transition to Teaching Scholarships.
The success of our state's education system relies heavily on the great work of Hoosier educators, which is why Senate Republicans are always dedicated to searching for more ways we can continue to support teachers and encourage more educators to bring their talents to our state.
