Rob Behrend

Valparaiso Community Schools teachers can expect another pay raise this year.

Valparaiso Community Schools teachers are set to get a pay raise. The proposed teacher contract for the 2022-2023 school year raises the starting salary for new teachers to $51,000, a $4,000 increase. Returning teachers would get a $4,500 raise, plus a one-percent, referendum-funded retention stipend at the end of this semester and another $500 stipend next June.

Officials at Valparaiso Community Schools say they're addressing some of the barriers to students' education through social emotional learning. Director of Social Emotional Learning Dr. Erin Hawkins told the school board Thursday that SEL is about more than just mental health but also about taking care of the whole child.