WALTON — Teachers at the Southeastern School Corporation have agreed to a two-year freeze on pay raises.
The troubled economy and state budget cuts to education have put a bind on many school systems — Southeastern included. In response, teachers in the school system agreed to forgo increases in their base salaries, but the contract extension still honors what is referred to as step movement on the salary schedule.
At Southeastern, a teacher’s salary is based on their years of service. The incremental increases will stay in place for teachers who have not maxed out their step movement. Many teachers with the most years experience will get no raises for the next two years.
The Southeastern school board approved the contract unanimously at its meeting last week.
Superintendent John Bevan said the base salary increases from the step movement will keep encouraging new teachers to stay in the profession.
“Our younger teachers in particular are still moving up in the schedule,” Bevan said. “But any senior teacher who is not moving up in the schedule has a frozen salary.”
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