August 1st, 2019. The first day of a new school year at Noblesville High School, but something isn’t right. You can’t quite nail down what it is, though. You go to say hi your favorite teacher, but…they’re missing. 

Some NHS teachers have recently resigned due to better opportunities at surrounding schools. According to associate superintendent Dr. David Mundy, Noblesville Schools has fallen behind surrounding schools in average teacher salary in recent years. On average, American teachers work 53+ hours per week while making $55,000 per year. John Ayars is among the teachers who chose to resign.

“I have a family of 5 in Hamilton County, where the living wage for a family of 5 like mine is around $74,000,” Ayars said. “I simply was unable to stay in a district like Noblesville if I were able to make 5 figures more working equidistant from my home.” 

Resigning was tough for some teachers, including Stephanie Fotiades-Troyer.

“I fell in love with the culture,” Fotiades-Troyer said. “The staff and the students I was able to build relationships with during my student teaching solidified my desire to be a Miller.” 

In order to keep strong teachers, a referendum was passed this last year to raise teacher salaries and address safety concerns.

“The additional funding this referendum will bring in will allow us to pay our teachers competitively again,” Mundy said.

Although teaching can be a tough field, Ayars believes the opportunity to be around students is worth the struggle.

“I have always wanted to help people since as long as I can remember, and as a teacher you get to help students in incredibly personal ways that last a lifetime,” Ayars said. “I still wake up every day thankful that I get to go to school and be a force for good in my students’ lives.”