(UNDATED) - Salaries are the biggest chunk of any school budget.

When it comes to teacher pay, Lakeland School Corporation is in the middle of the pack among area districts.

A database of 2017-2018 teacher pay compiled by the Indianapolis Star shows the average Lakeland teacher salary was $49,938. That puts Lakeland in the middle tier with districts like East Noble ($50,296), West Noble ($49,609) and the MSD of Steuben County ($48,595).

The lowest average teacher salaries in the area are at Garrett-Keyser-Butler ($46,301); Central Noble ($44,824), Prairie Heights ($44,465) and Fairfield ($44,368).

The highest average salaries are at Fremont ($54,042), Middlebury ($53,689), DeKalb Central ($52,701) and Westview ($52,437).