MCS teachers to receive unprecedented pay raises

<p>Lee Ann Kwiatkowski, Muncie Community Schools (MCS) Director of Public Education and CEO, gives the MCS Board of Trustees an update on school programs for the 2020-21 school year at the meeting May 25, 2021. Board members approved salary increases for all teachers, ranging from $2,400 to $5,200 annually. In 2020 and 2021, MCS&#x27; financial stability and savings increased from previous years. <strong>MCS YouTube page, Screenshot Capture</strong></p>

Lee Ann Kwiatkowski, Muncie Community Schools (MCS) Director of Public Education and CEO, gives the MCS Board of Trustees an update on school programs for the 2020-21 school year at the meeting May 25, 2021. Board members approved salary increases for all teachers, ranging from $2,400 to $5,200 annually. In 2020 and 2021, MCS' financial stability and savings increased from previous years. MCS YouTube page, Screenshot Capture

Because of a salary freeze for several years prior to the Ball State-Muncie Community Schools partnership in 2018, the MCS School Board is providing an additional $1,000 to all teachers who have five to 10 years of experience in the MCS system, so that group will receive the largest bump in pay.

 Here is breakdown of the approved raises:

  • 1 – 4 years of teaching experience: $4,300
  • 5 – 10 years of teaching experience: $4,200 + $1,000 MCS experience = $5,200
  • 11 – 19 years of teaching experience: $4,000 + $1,000 MCS experience = $5,000
  • 20+ years of teaching experience: $2,400 + $1,000 MCS experience = $3,400


Source: Andy Klotz, MCS chief communications officer

Editor's Note: This story is part of The Partnership Project, a series of content written in an effort by The Daily News to follow the formal collaboration of Ball State University and Muncie Community Schools. Read more in this series here.

Less than a month after approving $1,000 stipends for all active school district employees for the additional work required due to COVID-19, the Muncie Community Schools (MCS) Board of Trustees is boosting teachers’ pay again. The board approved salary increases for all teachers ranging from $2,400 to $5,200 annually. It has also raised starting teacher pay to $42,000, up from $38,500.

The raises are a result of increased K-12 education funding allocated by the Indiana General Assembly in the last legislative session. Teachers will begin receiving their larger paychecks at the start of the 2021-22 school year.

“We couldn’t be happier to be directing these funds to the dedicated teachers throughout our school district,” MCS Board President James Williams said in a press release. “This board values every one of our teachers. We know how hard they work and how much they care, and we’re elated to provide compensation that reflects that.”

In total, the raises will cost the district approximately $1.3 million.

“It’s important for us to show all our teachers how much we value them, and we have tried to rectify the inequities for those teachers who stuck with us despite having no increases for five of the last seven years,” MCS Director of Public Education and CEO Lee Ann Kwiatkowski said. “We’re already seeing the benefits of recent stipends and raises. We’ve dramatically cut down on our teacher turnover from just a few years ago.”

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