Noblesville Schools announced Tuesday that it has reached an agreement with the Noblesville Teachers’ Forum on a new two-year contract that brings an average 8.7 percent salary increase in its first year and an additional 3.7 percent average increase for the second year.
The new deal comes after an historic increase in the previous contact which gave Noblesville teachers the largest pay raise in approximately 40 years.
Between a critical national teacher shortage and salaries that have lagged other area school districts, Noblesville has made it a top priority to ensure that teacher salaries are competitive.
Niedermeyer
“We cannot serve our students without first serving our teachers,” said Superintendent Dr. Beth Niedermeyer. “The success of our academic mission depends on our ability to recruit and retain the best educators for our students. I’m committed to providing competitive teacher salaries and am thankful for the community’s support in securing the needed funding to make this happen.”
In 2018 the community approved the use of referendum funds specifically earmarked to address the growing pay disparity between Noblesville teachers and those in surrounding districts. In addition to teacher compensation, referendum dollars are also being used for significant safety and mental health upgrades throughout the district.
Per state law, the district could not begin bargaining the contract with teachers until this fall, but salary increases will be retroactive to July 29, 2021.
In addition to the salary increases, the new contract also enhances retirement benefits, increases select leave days and addresses compensation issues relative to extracurricular assignments.
The agreement covers the 2021-2022 and the 2022-2023 school years.
Teachers ratified the contract on Oct. 4, and the Noblesville Schools Board of Trustees approved it at their Oct. 26 board session.
Noblesville Schools employs approximately 750 teachers and is the largest employer in Noblesville with over 1,500 total staff members.