THE FOLLOWING RELEASE IS FROM INDIANA STATE SENATOR SPENCER DEERY’S OFFICE
STATEHOUSE (March 31, 2025) — A bill authored by State Sen. Spencer Deery (R-West Lafayette) to provide schools with new tools to better compensate teachers in high-need areas is heading to the governor’s desk for final review.
Under current state law, schools can offer teachers supplemental pay along with their base salary under the district’s negotiated salary schedule. However, these payments are not often utilized.
Senate Enrolled Act 249 would change current law by allowing schools to fund these supplemental paychecks before collective bargaining.
“Teachers in subjects like special education, STEM and English as a second language are some of the most needed across Indiana,” Deery said. “This bill gives school administrators more flexibility to increase pay for those teachers if market forces demand. Our schools deserve every tool in the toolbox when it comes to recruiting and retaining our best teachers, especially those in high-need subject areas.
Deery said the legislation was inspired in part by a report released by the Next Level Teacher Compensation Commission that recommended ways to achieve more competitive pay for teachers in Indiana.
SEA 249 now moves to the governor’s desk for further consideration.
Deery encourages residents of Senate District 23 to contact him with any questions or comments they may have. Deery can be reached by filling out a “Contact Me” form online at www.IndianaSenateRepublicans.com/Deery or by phone at 800-382-9467.
