2.76% is the average pay raise for Fort Smith Public School teachers

Most Fort Smith Public School teachers will be getting a salary increase in the 2025-26 contract year, though the starting annual salary for new teachers will remain at $50,200.

The Fort Smith Public Schools Board of Education approved 2025-26 salary schedules for both certified and classified employees during a special called meeting Tuesday (April 15). Certified employees are primarily teachers, and classified are non-teaching support staff.

The certified salary schedule had an increase of $1,325 to the structural base, said Allan Marshall, FSPS chief communications and engagement officer. That structural base is built upon a starting point of $46,000.

However, 12 salary amounts have manual overrides to this structure to meet the minimum salary requirements of the LEARNS Act. Those overrides include teachers with a bachelor’s degree in year one through eight of their FSPS career, as well as teachers with a bachelor’s degree plus 12 additional college hours in years one through four.

The base salary for a new teacher with a bachelor’s degree will remain at $50,200 in 2025-2026. However, first year teachers with a bachelor’s degree plus 12 hours, will have a starting salary of $50,775.

Certified staff members that were eligible for a $675 step increase will now see an increase of $2,000 to the base contract salary ($675 plus $1,325), Marshall said.

“Current certified staff members moving into one of the salaries with a manual override will receive an increase of at least $1,325. Certified staff members currently at Step 25 that are not eligible for a step increase (because there is no Step 26) will receive a base salary increase of $1,325,” he said.

There are 12 classified salary schedules and two administrator salary schedules.

“A variety of increases were applied to these salary schedules as well,” Marshall said.

Charles Warren, FSPS chief financial officer, told the school board that the average increase to the certified salary schedule will be $1,735 (2.76%). The average increase to the classified salary schedules will be $1,423 (4.94%). These averages include eligible step increases.

“I don’t want it to get lost … this is another substantial increase to our teacher salary funding model that I think is something we all should be proud of,” School Board President Dalton Person said.

Last year, the salary schedules approved by the board for classified and certified personnel did not increase salaries for the 2024-25 school year other than what occurs in step increases because of district finances. Warren in March presented the school board with a similar plan because of too many unknowns in school funding.

On Tuesday, he said foundation funding amount will bring new state revenue of $3.985 million to FSPS, which will be able to pay for costs and expenses in fiscal year 2026. Those costs include $2.682 million in new costs for the district, which include existing staff, assistant principals and employer healthcare costs.

“We see we have net available funds of $4.672 million,” Warren said. “But we’re allocating it purposefully.”

The passed proposal allocates one-third of the funds the certified salary schedule and one-third to 14 classified salary schedules and holds one-third to meet inflation and economic volatility, Warren said.

No non-recurring payment options were presented, unlike in some past years.

“Before the school board meeting, the personnel policy committee (PPC) for both certified and classified employees were presented with an option to receive a non-recurring payment or an increase to salary schedules. Both the certified PPC and the classified PPC unanimously voted to support the salary schedule increases,” Marshall said.