Elkhart Community Schools will not raise teacher salaries for the 2025–26 school year, a decision district leaders say is driven by financial realities and state law.
Superintendent Dr. Larry Huff says the district is operating with a structural deficit after losing more than 450 students since last fall. That decline amounts to roughly $3.4 million in reduced state funding.
Huff says that under Indiana law, school corporations running a deficit cannot add to base teacher pay, and emphasized that the decision is not a reflection of teacher performance.
He described the freeze as “driven by math, not by any lack of respect for our teachers,” noting that about 96 percent of the district’s education fund goes toward salaries and benefits.
While several nearby districts have approved raises, Huff says he believes Elkhart’s situation is temporary as the district works to “right-size” its operations and align spending with enrollment.
He said the agreement is part of a longer-term plan to stabilize the district’s finances and be transparent with staff and the community, calling it an approach based on “honesty and long-term stability.”
Huff says his goal is for the pause on salary increases to last only one year.
Elkhart Community Schools holds the broadcast license for WVPE.
