Nettle Creek School officials creatively found some dollars to put toward teachers’ raises, but, citing financial constraints, noncertified staff and administrators won’t see an increase.
The school board, administrators and Nettle Creek Classroom Teachers Association conducted an Oct. 29 public hearing regarding their tentative contract agreement. No one from the public spoke.
Superintendent Emily Schaeffer outlined current education and operations expenses and noted several costs are rising as funding decreases.
She said some education fund money was creatively reappropriated toward teachers’ salaries this year, but “heavy work” will need to start soon to analyze potential spending to prepare for next year’s negotiations.
Schaeffer suggested examining student to staff classroom ratios, the number of instructional assistants, use of substitute teachers, evaluating programs’ return on investment, less expensive supplies and services, transportation route optimization, and additional grants and partnerships.
Board president Shaun Lieberman noted disappointment about what the district could offer now for compensation and benefits, but appreciated time and effort put into making spending data transparent.
“Every penny and dollar counts,” Lieberman said.
Staff will receive about $7 million of the $8.4 million education fund. The remainder must cover costs including textbooks and consumables students and teachers use, supplies, printing, students’ tuition to New Castle Career Center, special education expenses, professional development, and computer hardware and software licensing.
Schaeffer expects to request an additional appropriation at the board’s November meeting because spending some of its cash balance is needed to meet 2025 education expenses. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 12 in Hagerstown Elementary. The public is invited.
Nettle Creek didn’t get new state funding because $174,000 for textbooks and curricular materials had to be taken from the student tuition increase this year, Schaeffer said. And, because enrollment went down 15 students, the district’s income went down by $116,000.
This year’s operations fund was $3.7 million with $1.6 million projected for staffing. That leaves about $2 million for utilities, building and grounds maintenance, transportation, vehicle/bus maintenance, legal/professional services, technology not directly related to educating students, security, and equipment.
While insurance went up, and supplies and utilities have increased “astronomically,” Schaeffer said, Nettle Creek is bracing for decreases in local income and property tax revenue in 2026 and beyond.
“It becomes very challenging to free up dollars to put toward people resources when we have all these other costs as well,” she said.
Nettle Creek already meets Indiana’s new teacher compensation requirement. Indiana’s minimum teacher salary increased from $40,000 to $45,000, but Nettle Creek’s starting salary is $47,000. It also puts 65.49% of tuition toward certified teacher pay. Sixty-five percent is required.
However, Nettle Creek also must offer higher base pay for teachers earning literacy endorsements or teaching Indiana College Core or dual-credit courses. It will offer $133.33 per year for each category.
Nettle Creek also was required to increase its insurance contributions for 27 employees on its most affordable insurance plan.
Through negotiations, salary increases will begin at $150 annually for teachers with one year of experience at Nettle Creek.
Fourth-grade teacher Heather Lugar became NCCTA’s chief negotiator this year, and Glen Meek is NCCTA president.
A version of this article appeared in the November 12 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.