Batesville Commits 100 Percent of New State Funding to Teacher Compensation

BCSC's average teacher salary has been brought to $58,000.

(Batesville, Ind.) - Teachers in the Batesville Community School Corporation (BCSC) are receiving salary increases across the board as the district committed 100 percent of its recent increase in state funding to compensating its educators through the terms of its recently ratified teacher contract.

“Our teachers are working hard day in and day out to shape the future of nearly 2200 students in the Batesville area,” said Paul Ketcham, BCSC superintendent. “The decision to increase salaries is an intentional message that we want to invest in them as thanks for their dedication to their profession.”

Teachers are compensated based on years of teaching experience and the level of education attained. Every segment of the compensation chart realized a gain, with an average salary increase of five percent. That brings the average BCSC teacher salary to $58,000, which is more than the most recent correlating statewide figure.

In addition to the salary adjustments, BCSC has agreed to contribute an additional 10 percent to health insurance premiums this school year, leading to a further increase in teacher take-home pay. This is the fourth consecutive year of decreased teacher health care premiums due to additional contributions from the Batesville school district toward those benefit costs.

Many teachers enhance the educational experience at BCSC through participating in professional development opportunities, making presentations, or serving as extracurricular coaches or club sponsors. Pay also increased in all of these areas. A new consolidated extracurricular compensation schedule will boost pay for those corresponding positions by about 28 percent, on average.

“The 2024 Niche.com rankings of K-12 Indiana schools systems placed Batesville in the top five districts with the best teachers and in the top 20 for best school districts,” Ketcham concluded. “Over the years, our school district has consistently been financially rewarded, through grants, for its commitment to excellence. This was an opportunity for the Batesville Community Schools Corporation to use an increase in state funding to reward our teachers financially for their contributions to our success.”