Build Your Career at BCPS!

Build Your Career
at BCPS!
We believe supporting our students must
start with supporting our teachers and staff.
Teacher salaries start at $50,000, plus up to $30,000 in incentives. Learn more inside!

Great Things Are Happening
In Battle Creek Public Schools!
Battle Creek Public Schools (BCPS)
is a district in Southwest Michigan
serving nearly 4,000 students from
pre-K through 12th grade.
In 2017, we unveiled a five-year plan to achieve success
for every BCPS student, with support from a historic
$51 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg
Foundation. Since then, we’ve launched new schools
and academic programs, built strong community
partnerships, rolled out individualized support for students,
and invested more resources than ever before into our staff.
DISTRICT DATA
Demographics:
• 38% Black
• 31% White
• 14% Multiracial
• 13% Latino
• 3% Asian/Pacific Islander
• .3% American Indian
Students eligible for free or
reduced price lunch: 85%
Join one the Highest-Paying
Districts for Teachers in
Southwest Michigan
At BCPS, we know how important compensation and benefits are to our staff’s wellbeing. That’s why in the spring
of 2023, we raised salaries for all teachers — including starting salaries — by an average of more than $10,000!
BCPS teacher salaries now begin at $50,000 and go up to $82,000, depending on education and
experience, placing BCPS among the highest paying school districts in Southwest Michigan for teachers. In addition
to great pay, we offer several opportunities for additional compensation, meaning your total compensation can
go far beyond your base salary.
You can also earn more than $30,000 in bonuses and incentives in your
first two years of teaching at BCPS, including:
Signing bonus
Teacher attendance incentive
$1,500 in first year
Up to $700 per year based on attendance
There’s never been a better time to join BCPS!
Probationary teacher stipend
for effective ratings
Coaching and advising
Paid professional
development
Educational reimbursement
Retirement benefits
Home purchase assistance
Rental assistance
Loan forgiveness
$500 per year (for teachers who have not yet reached tenure)
$1,500 – $5,000+ per year
Up to $2,000 in first year and up to $1,000 in subsequent years
for completing district-provided courses
Up to $5,250 per year for approved coursework
Automatic participation in the Michigan Public School Employee
Retirement System and opportunity to participate in 403(b)
Up to $20,000 toward down payment and closing costs for
qualifying homes
Up to $4,500 in rental funds for qualifying, new 12-month leases
Up to $5,000 in federal tuition loan forgiveness after five complete
and consecutive years of teaching (special education teachers and
secondary science and math teachers may be eligible for up to
$17,500 in loan forgiveness)

Build a Home
in Battle Creek
Battle Creek offers the best of the Midwest.
In Southwest Michigan, you’ll find lakes, winter
sports, breweries, wineries, and more — all situated
within driving distance to major hubs like Detroit
and Chicago, but with a significantly lower cost of
living. And with close proximity to major employers
like Kellogg Company, Post Foods, DENSO
Manufacturing, and Stryker Corporation, our
community offers plenty of job opportunities for other
family members.
We offer funds so you can put
down long-term roots and build
your future here — for renting or
purchasing your own home.
Get Covered with
Generous Health
Insurance Options
BCPS offers a generous array of
health insurance coverage options
for teachers, administrators, and
others who qualify. These options
cater to individual and family
needs, with no waiting period.
Coverage costs vary by plan and
start at a $0 monthly premium.
Note: Employees who are covered
by other sources are eligible for cash
payments in lieu of coverage, up to
roughly $2,500 per year.
Benefits offered at no
cost to qualifying
employees include:
Life Insurance
Dental Plan
Vision Service Plan
Free confidential
counseling and
referral services
BCPS teachers and administrators are eligible for:
Up to $20,000 towards down
payment and closing costs, or to
reduce monthly mortgage expenses,
for the purchase of a home in the area.
Eligible applicants are new home
buyers within the district boundaries and
must remain employed by BCPS and use
the home as their primary residence for
at least three years.
Up to $4,500 in rental funds for
new 12-month leases in an eligible
property. Eligible applicants must
remain employed by BCPS and use the
rental as their primary residence for the
duration of the 12-month lease.

Grow Your Career as
an Educator
We invest in the future of every member of the Bearcat family — and that includes our teachers. Our teachers
are 100% committed to our students; and at BCPS, we are 100% committed to our teachers. Our district is not
just a great place to work, but a great place to stay and grow.
You teach to make
a difference.
We offer the support you
need to make it happen.
SUPPORT IN THE
CLASSROOM
We offer expansive support staff teams in every
building so you can focus on what you do best
— teaching. Here, you can experience:
• “Bearcat Coaches” and Behavior
Interventionists in every building to
provide additional adult supervision
and caring support.
• Additional staff in kindergarten, 1st,
and 2nd grade classrooms, reducing the
student-to-adult ratio.
• Communities in Schools Site
Coordinators who collaborate with
parents and community partners to improve
attendance, achievement, and parent
involvement by removing barriers.
• Certified Literacy Specialists and Tutors
in all elementary schools to assist students
who are below grade level academically.
SUPPORT FOR YOUR
FUTURE
We know that to be able to thrive and love
where you work, you need to be able to
continue growing and honing new skills. As a
BCPS teacher, you can take advantage of:
• Paid professional development courses
covering topics like student goal-setting,
reading skills, and English learner strategies.
• Mentorship opportunities, connecting
you with faculty members from Grand
Valley State University and with other
BCPS teachers to problem solve and share
best practices.
• Reimbursement opportunities for
approved coursework.
• Teacher certification support for
educators who are pursuing Michigan state
teaching credentials through Teachers of
Tomorrow and local university partners.
• Funding opportunities for school supplies,
classroom needs, field trips, and other
special projects.

Career Options for
Every Skill Set at BCPS
From the bus drivers who greet students
as they start their day, to the staff who
provide enrichment opportunities after
school, we are one Bearcat Family at BCPS!
Our educators and support staff work together to reach each student,
meeting them where they are to help them form their goals for the
future, move through challenges, and develop a love of learning that
will carry them to success.
SUPPORT STAFF AND OTHER CAREER
OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDE:
• Bearcat Coaches (Student Support)
• Before- and After-school Program Youth Development Workers (21st
Century)
• Behavior Support Specialists (Student Support)
• Bus Drivers (Dean Transportation)
• Camp Counselors (Outdoor Education Center at Clear Lake Camp)
• Early Learning Tutors
• English Learner (EL) Tutors
• Facilities Maintenance and Custodial Positions
• Food Services (Chartwells)
• Literacy Tutors
• Noon-hour (Lunchtime) Supervisors
• School Nurses and Mental Health Support (Calhoun County Public
Health Department & Grace Health)
• Special Education Paraprofessionals
Discover more and apply at battlecreekpublicschools.org/careers

UNLOCK YOUR CHILD’S FUTURE
EXPERIENCE THE
BEARCAT ADVANTAGE
UP TO 100% OF COLLEGE TUITION
COVERED FOR ELIGIBLE BCPS GRADS!
The Bearcat Advantage is a historic scholarship exclusively available to
Battle Creek Public Schools (BCPS) graduates that will set students up to
continue on the path to career, college, and community success!
We know that many of our amazing staff members, whether it’s due to
housing availability, family situations, or other considerations, may not
live within district boundaries, but still bring their children to BCPS — so
we wanted this opportunity to be available to our their families too!
We constructed the Bearcat Advantage scholarship with you in
mind, eliminating any residency requirement.
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO
KNOW!
• Covers up to 100% of tuition and mandatory fees at four-year
universities or colleges in Michigan or one of nearly 100 eligible
Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUs) across the U.S.
• Students have up to 6 years after graduation to utilize their
Bearcat Advantage scholarship funds.
• Students who have attended all of high school at BCPS are eligible —
the longer you’ve been at BCPS, the bigger the scholarship you
receive!
BEARCAT ADVANTAGE
SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY
BY GRADE LEVEL
LENGTH OF
ATTENDANCE AT
BCPS*
BENEFIT PERCENTAGE
OF TUITION & FEES
PAID
K–12 100%
1–12 95%
2–12 95%
3–12 95%
4–12 90%
5–12 85%
6–12 80%
7–12 75%
8 –12 70%
9–12 65%
10 –12 Ineligible**
11–12 Ineligible**
12–12 Ineligible**
*Must be enrolled by September 1 of each school year.
**There are several funding opportunities available to BCPS graduates.
Learn more at battlecreekpublicschools.org/scholarships

Build your teaching career at BCPS
and join the Bearcat Family!
Learn more about open positions at
all grade levels and APPLY TODAY at
battlecreekpublicschools.org/careers