GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A Grand Rapids Public School teacher with 10 years of experience and a Master’s degree would get a $63,529 annual salary.
Not even seven-miles down the road, that same teacher with the same qualifications would make $82,552 at Godwin Heights Public Schools.
Yet, Grand Rapids’ public school received $21,449 in total funding to its General Fund in 2023-24 while Godwin Heights received $18,536 per pupil.
The average teacher salary at Grand Rapids was $60,816 in 2023-24, according to the Michigan Department of Education. At Godwin Heights, it was $79,216.
At Wyoming Public County, like Grand Rapids located in Kent County, that same 10-year teacher with a Master’s degree would make $68,373. And Wyoming Public Schools received $17,825 per pupil in 2023-24, less than Grand Rapids.
The issue came up at the May 12 school board meeting when members of the Grand Rapids Education Association noted that their teachers had the lowest average salary in the county. That claim is true as of 2023-24 according to the MDE, but only if charter schools are not included. The state doesn’t capture all the average salaries of charter schools, which generally pay significantly lower than non-charter districts.
The average teacher salary in Michigan was $69,068 in 2023-24. But teacher salaries can vary district to district, regardless of the funding status of the districts.