Penn-Harris-Madison teachers and administrators this week approved a contract that will see the district’s instructors remain some of the highest paid public school teachers in the area.
For the 2023-24 school year, teachers will get raises of about 5%. Then in the 2024-25 year, they will see a close to 3% pay increase.
Teachers beyond their first year will also receive over $2,000 in retention bonus stipends over the lifetime of the contract, while first-year teachers will get a $650 stipend. The raises over the next two years build on a 7% pay increase the union negotiated last year.
The deal will bring starting pay for P-H-M teachers up to more than $48,000 by next school year. By contrast, Mishawaka teachers started at $44,000 for this school year, while South Bend teachers started at $43,000. However, both South Bend and Mishawaka are negotiating new deals that will likely see salary numbers rise.
P-H-M’s director of human resources, Lisa Soto Kile said the contract will keep P-H-M salaries ahead of the curve in Michiana.
“We are confident that this agreement will continue to support our talent and acquisition and retention efforts. And our total compensation package will remain amongst the most premier in our area,” she said.
In a statement, the P-H-M Teacher's Association president Lisa Langfeldt agreed saying the deal is good for the district.
"With this agreement, P-H-M continues to stand out in this area as a leading district in wages and benefits. It is an agreement that will truly benefit our outstanding teachers and allows P-H-M to continue to attract and retain the very best,” Langfeldt said.
