5 Strategies to Increase Christian School Teacher Compensation
How school leaders can act now to increase compensation and retain mission-aligned educators.
Note from the author:
Based on my leadership experience, I can confidently say that nearly every board member, administrator, and parent I’ve worked with deeply desires to see teachers well-compensated and cared for. These reflections are not meant as criticism, but to clarify the current realities many stakeholders in Christian schools face. We’re all on the same team—and together, we can strengthen the great work of our faculty, staff, and coaches.
While this article focuses primarily on teacher salaries, many of the same principles apply when evaluating and improving other employment benefits—such as health insurance, tuition discounts, retirement contributions, and professional development.
I don’t claim to have all the answers—and much more could be said—but I hope this article sparks a meaningful conversation in your school community as you consider the next step in supporting our Christian educators.
Let’s Talk Compensation
I often begin this conversation with a practical question:
If your school faced an unexpected capital need—like a roof collapse or HVAC failure—not covered by insurance, would you delay the work until you found extra money in the budget?
Of course not. You’d fix it—because the building must function. The mission depends on it.
We need that same urgency for something far more essential than facilities: the ministry of those working with our students every single day.
Even if nothing seems “broken,” the truth is that many Christian school teachers are quietly burning out, making ends meet with a 2nd job, or leaving for better pay elsewhere. Unless we act decisively, we risk losing the very people who give life to our mission.
“You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” And again: “Those who work deserve their pay.”
—1 Timothy 5:18 (NLT)
Somewhere along the way, many Christian schools adopted the idea that it was acceptable to pay teachers within 10–20% of public school salaries. But let’s be honest—is that a meaningful target, or just a way to rationalize underpaying faithful, gifted educators?
You’ll often hear people say, “Well, it’s a ministry,” as a way of justifying the gap.
Yes, it is a ministry—and that’s exactly why we should lead the way in honoring those who serve in it.
I’ve posed this thought experiment to fellow Christian school leaders:
If your school doubled teacher salaries tomorrow, how many quality Christian educators in public schools would want to join you?
Answer: All of them.
What if you simply matched public school compensation?
Answer: Most of them.
The opportunity to build strong, mission-aligned teams is right in front of us.
Here are five practical ways to start.
1. Start Where You Are
Forget the comparison conversation.
The late W. Edwards Deming, a renowned professor and management consultant, once said,
“Your business is perfectly designed to get the results you’re getting.”
The same applies to your school. Acknowledge your current reality.
If you're paying teachers $30K, $40K, $50K, or even $60K+ per year—accept that. That’s your starting point.
You might be 5%, 10%, or even 25% below the market rate for your region or school type. It may not be where you want to be—but owning your baseline is essential for making progress. From there, you can cast vision, rally support, and build a pathway forward.
2. Strategically Place a Salary Increase in the Budget—No Exceptions
If you believe teacher compensation is critical to your mission, it must be reflected in your budget.
Don’t treat raises as an afterthought. Make salary increases a strategic, non-negotiable line item during budget development—not something to “fit in if there’s room.” This can be part of a long-term strategic plan or as a singular focus.
Consider allocating at least a 3–5% annual increase, and lean toward the higher end if your salaries are significantly behind market compensation. This additional revenue can be distributed evenly, through salary banding, or a bonus/merit system—whatever works for your culture.
Communicate clearly with your board, staff, and parent community that this is part of a multi-year plan to reach more competitive and mission-aligned compensation levels.
This may require trimming other areas or rethinking resource allocation.
📊 What Does a 3% Tuition Increase Look Like?
A 3% increase is modest—but when applied across a full enrollment base, it creates margin that can be redirected into teacher compensation. However, it can result in an additional 100k-500k in annual revenue, depending upon your enrollment.
3. Pulling the Revenue Levers
When you're serious about raising compensation, you’ll need to identify and activate new or underutilized revenue streams. Think of these as levers—you may pull all of them, or choose to lean heavily on one or two that align best with your school community and financial demographics.
Your three primary levers:
Tuition adjustments: Even modest annual increases can have meaningful impact when communicated transparently. Be clear that the goal is to recruit, train, and retain the best Christian educators possible—not to pad the bottom line.
Targeted fundraising: Launch dedicated campaigns focused on teacher pay and retention. Donors respond powerfully when they see their generosity supporting the people shaping their children’s spiritual and academic formation.
Building a teacher endowment: Invite long-term investment into the future of the school. Position this as a legacy opportunity for families who want to make an enduring difference.
There are also miscellaneous levers to consider—such as investments, facility rentals, summer camps, auxiliary programs, and other creative forms of revenue generation. The key is to identify what's viable in your context and align it to your mission.
4. Engage Your Board and Community in Ownership
Raising teacher pay isn’t just a financial task—it’s a leadership and vision task, too. It must be owned beyond the head of school.
Equip your board with data, stories, and goals so they can champion this cause in conversations and decisions.
Identify parent and donor ambassadors who care deeply about your staff and want to help advocate and fundraise.
Include teacher voices in strategic discussions when appropriate—this increases clarity and credibility.
If teacher pay only lives in your administrative office, it won’t gain momentum—invite others to the table to advance the initiative.
5. Make Teacher Compensation a Part of the Culture
For some schools, conversations around pay happen behind closed doors. But if you want your teachers to feel valued, talk about it openly, consistently, and missionally.
Include compensation goals in your strategic plan. Stick to percentages, as necessary.
Celebrate raises or milestones publicly—even small ones—to show progress.
Involve your board, parent ambassadors, and key donors in the narrative: “We are committed to honoring the calling of our faculty.”
When compensation is embedded in your culture—not just your budget—you build a healthier, more sustainable school that communicates value from the top down.
Bonus: Decide Now How to Use a Budget Surplus
If your school ends the year with a budget surplus, don’t wait until June to decide what to do with it. Make that decision ahead of time—and tie it to your values.
For example:
50% toward deferred maintenance or facility improvements
25% into savings or reserves
25% rolled forward into teacher compensation, such as retention bonuses or added salary support
By pre-deciding your priorities, you send a clear message: when we’re blessed with a surplus and we budget responsibly, our people benefit—not just our buildings.
Final Word
Christian schools don’t have to match public school salaries overnight. But we must close the gap with urgency, creativity, and conviction—because when we honor our Christian educators, we honor the Lord who called them into this important and eternal ministry.