The United Teachers of Wichita and the Board of Education have reached a tentative two-year agreement for the 2023-24 and 24-25 school years.

Highlights of the tentative agreement are noted below:

• Base salary increase of 4.85% in year 1 and 5% in year 2 (This represents a starting new teacher salary of $47,736 in year 1 and $50,123 in year 2);
• Steps, tracks and longevity for years of experience, additional education and years of service for those who are eligible;
• No change to the employee health program or premiums, which represents a BOE contribution of $8,280 a year ($690 month) per employee;
• Increase in sub pay for teachers covering another teacher’s classroom to $30/hour, with a daily maximum of $60;
• Level D supplemental for teachers at Sowers, Bryant, Greiffenstein, Wells and Levy.

“I am pleased that we are able to honor our teachers with this tentative two-year contract,” said Superintendent Kelly Bielefeld. “We appreciate the hard work that they do every day to prepare our students to be future ready. Not only does the contract support our current teachers, but the starting salary of more than $50,000 in the second year will help us to recruit new teachers to join the WPS family.”  

“One of our priorities with the strategic plan is investing in staff,” said BOE President Sheril Logan. “On behalf of the Board of Education, we want to thank the teams for their work on behalf of the certified staff members who inspire and educate Wichita students each day.”

Teachers will vote on the contract in early August.