Ohio's average starting teacher salary ranks 46th in the nation at $42,222, according to a new National Education Association report. The finding, first reported by the Ohio Capital Journal, lands as Olentangy Local Schools prepares to add more than 300 staff members over the next three years to keep pace with enrollment growth.
The NEA's 2024-25 Teacher Salary Benchmark Report pegged the national average starting salary at $48,112. Ohio's overall average teacher salary of $70,586 fared better, ranking 23rd, but the state's minimum base salary for a new teacher with a bachelor's degree sits at $35,000.
"Educators are leaving the profession to find some careers that can help their families out better and make their ends meet a little bit better," Ohio Education Association President Jeff Wensing told the Ohio Capital Journal on Oct. 1.
The shortage is real. Nationally, about one in eight teaching positions were vacant or filled by teachers who were not fully certified for their assignments in 2025, with shortages especially widespread in special education, science and math.
What it means for Olentangy
Olentangy enrolled 24,563 preschool-through-12th-grade students as of May 2026, making it Ohio's fourth-largest public district. The district grows by 400 to 500 students each year and projects nearly 2,000 new students by the 2028-29 school year, according to its 2025 bond issue overview. Meeting that growth will require more than 300 additional staff members.
The Olentangy Board of Education approved a three-year contract with the Olentangy Teachers Association (OTA) in June 2024. The deal covers 1,584 educators, runs from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028, and includes cost-of-living adjustments of 2.5% in the first year and 3% in years two and three. Superintendent Todd R. Meyer said in June 2024, when the board approved the contract, that the agreement "reflects Olentangy Schools' respect for OTA and the District's teachers, as well as a commitment to retaining and attracting the best teachers."
The district also anticipates placing an operational levy before voters within the next two to three years. Residents have already passed six operational levies, 10 bond issues and two permanent improvement levies since 1999.
Legislation in Columbus
Ohio House Bill 191 (HB 191), introduced by Democratic state Reps. Joe Miller and Michele Grim, would raise the minimum teacher salary statewide to $50,000. The bill has received one committee hearing. If it does not pass before the General Assembly's current session ends in December, it would need to be reintroduced.
Ohio is also one of 32 states that offers no extra pay to attract or retain teachers in hard-to-staff subjects or schools, according to the National Council on Teacher Quality.
The Olentangy Board of Education meets next on Thursday, Oct. 8, at the district's administrative offices.
