Press Release

WARSAW — Dr. David Hoffert, superintendent of Warsaw Community Schools, recently announced that the ratification of certified teaching contracts has been reached.

Three years ago, WCS created a local goal of a new teacher salary starting at $40,000 by the 2021-22 school year. This new contract provides WCS with the continued ability to recruit and retain excellent reaching staff.

WCS’s Board of School Trustees and the Warsaw Community Education Association are excited to announce the ratification of a certified teaching contract for the 2021-22 and the 2022-23 school years. Highlights of the two-year certified contract include:

• starting teacher salary will be $42,100 (2021-22) and $43,700 (2022-23);
• average base salary increase of 8% (2021-22) and 4% (2022-23);
• other adjustments to the base salary for certified teachers in years 0-7 in the teaching profession and teachers with 16-26 years of service;
• extra-curricular, co-curricular, and club wages were increased;
• contractual language to support employees with leave time for guardianship/foster appointments and additionally with family college visitations.

“We are very thankful for the collaboration with the WCEA to ratify this two-year contract,” said Hoffert. “It was made possible by strong communication and goal-setting over the last three years between the WCEA, WCS administration, and school board. We also send our gratitude to our local state representatives, senators, and the governor. Their diligent work through the Indiana State budgeting process and the statewide Teacher Pay Report provided the dollars to enable these historic rates. We are grateful.”

“We are thankful for this significant investment into our certified teaching staff by both the state government and our local school board,” said WCEA President Terry Sims. “Our teachers are dedicated to our local community. These increases help ensure Warsaw Community Schools is able to attract and retain high-quality educators.”

“Our teachers equip and inspire students daily within our schools,” said WCS Board President Heather Reichenbach. “It is imperative we retain these experts in our buildings and also be an employer of choice for teachers new to our district. This contract continues to position us to do both well. We extend heartfelt thanks to the WCEA for their focused priorities, our community for their support, and our elected officials whose advocacy for our local public schools is so critical.”