001Community School Corporation School Board special meeting. Um, call to order the TCSC school board special meeting. Um, we're going to begin with the pledge of allegiance. So >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. All right. Uh, next on our agenda is the tenative agreement presentation. I'll hand it over to Dr. Glaze. >> Thank you very much, Rob. And uh so just kind of briefly we're going to go through how um our our new contract uh what our tenative agreement is. Just kind of talk a little bit about money, talk a little bit about language uh changes. Um and uh but you it should not be a long presentation, but please
002feel free to ask any questions. Uh we do have a one-year agreement. Um and again, just to refresh all of your memories, we can only do a two-year agreement because you can't have an agreement going over the bannual budget. Uh so this is a one-year agreement. Uh one of the uh the big uh benchmarks that we want to make sure is we are over the 45,000. So our starting pay will be 46,000. Uh 45,000 is the minimum pay. Uh we were able to give a $500 base increase to the salary and uh we also provided a retention stipen bonus of um 750 and we did have some language changes uh as part of the contract. One of the things that was a goal for me, um, we we didn't have a lot of money to
003give, so we wanted to get some some language that would, you know, really help our teachers and provide, uh, for really, um, we have a very young teaching staff, very young teaching staff that's having babies. And so, we want to try to, um, mimic the public sector and try to do some things with paternity leave, maternity leave, and also uh, foster and adoptive leave. So, we were able to do some of that, which I think is a start and I think we can add to that as we move forward. >> It will we'll issue that in in December. It'll just be a onetime check. >> This contractor is retroactive to the start of the school year. >> Correct. >> So, we owe them all money. >> Uh not all of them, but yeah. But everybody
004that was here last year that had an effective or highly effective, which they did, >> but the pay increase also that they haven't been getting for so >> so it'll all be retroactive to the beginning of the school year. >> August, >> they can't uh because it's it's going to be it's required that they have an evaluation with us the year before. So any new hire or any firstear teacher would not get the statement. >> Yeah. So, just to kind of give you a general overview of the last few years, we've made significant progress, I think, in our beginning teacher salary, an increase of $9,000 uh dollars over the last six years. We've had some really good funding years, as you can tell. Uh we were able to make some considerable increases um in the
005past. And uh so I feel like that u again um I feel like we did pretty well this year. Uh but um once again we've we've hit those thresholds where we are um again within state compliance and and everything else. Uh so for first and second year teachers um you know what I left that stupid thing off. Okay, I messed that up. I apologize. That should be for first year teachers. So line A teachers and really anybody that was hired this year will get the $500 increase. So apologize. I I I actually made a copy of last year's and I left that from last year. So I apologize. Uh so the header is wrong, but uh line A would be the $500 base increase. And then any any teacher that is a new hireer this
006year would be the $500 increase. And then really anybody line B or above on our pay schedule would receive the $500 base increase. They would uh be eligible to move down, which is $1,000 increment. And so that makes it $1,500 and then the onetime stipen of 750 um retention bonus. So a total of $2,250 uh for most of our folks. Uh we did add some additional compensation areas. Uh the um the state of Indiana requires us to add additional dollars for students who possess the literacy endorsement. And so um we al they're also uh in the following year they're requiring us to label um additional academic needs. So we just went ahead and did this in this contract. Uh so um we've labeled our academic need areas as special education, science, and math. Uh because
007those are areas that we have a hard time filling positions. Uh so anybody that would be uh in those areas that are teaching in those areas would get an additional $250. Um if you have the literacy endorsement, uh you would get uh $300. And we also were able to increase the uh summer school pay from 37.50 50 to $45 per hour. And um and again, we we we don't have a really hard time getting people to do uh summer school. But again, uh we made that 3750 six years ago. And you know, just with inflation, uh we can do a minor adjustment there which really won't cost us a lot of money. >> And that's regardless of subject and years of experience. That's how they used to do it. >> That's correct. [laughter] used to
008be your it used to be your daily rate divided by the hour. Yeah. Yeah. >> Yes. >> How many? >> We only have one, but we have se that is that that's taken the test. We have several that have completed the training. They're just waiting to take the test because the state pays for one >> One test. And so they want to make sure they're ready to go. >> Yeah. And so um so we will have several more starting next year. Uh but um but right now we just have one who has taken the test. Uh that is uh Mrs. Bitner who is our one of our third grade teachers. >> Yeah. >> So we also talked a little bit about fringe benefits. Mentioned that a little bit earlier. Uh we are able to do
009a five uh five paid days. Um and after that they can use their benefit days. So basically in in most businesses and and particularly in the private sector uh you do get a paid maternity leave. Some of them go up to six weeks. Um we uh we initially suggested going 10 days. Um the in part of negotiation process because we just kind of wanted to see how it rolled. Uh we came back to five days. Um again this is a we've we've run the reports this is going to be a very small impact on us. Uh typically when we have uh someone covering a maternity leave or any kind of a leave like this they're paid 10 days at sub rate which is basically around $100 could be 125 depending on if they've retired from
010us or not. Uh so basically it's it's pretty low dollar impact. Uh but we're uh right now we're at five days. That may be something that in the future uh is extended out to 10 days. Uh but it's a good start and again with our with the youth of our staff um we're excited they're having having kids and and hopefully they're all going to be Blue Devils. >> Yeah. I think for you too when if you read the if you've read the contract this is like three and a half pages and it's >> we re we repeated it for each of those areas because we wanted the teachers to read the details. Next year when we do this we're going to consolidate down to parental leave and it's going to incorporate all this. So it's
011really >> right now maternity has its own paragraph >> and it says all the same thing but we thought well if they're reading a new contract we want them to see the details then next year we can squash it down and so it looks a little >> a little wordy in the contract >> and it is >> but from a from [laughter] a business perspective we can we can scrunch this down next year and get a little more concise um >> after you know we get it implemented. So right and again uh to be more family friendly uh currently uh teachers were allowed to um move eight uh sick days to family illness days. Uh we allowed them to move 10. So we gave them two additional days. So the the the family illness days
012can be uh for anybody um you know with kids sick even you know parents sick anything like that. Uh so it just kind of gives a little bit of flexibility and the ability to um add a couple more days. Um they're again trying to be more family friendly and more family focused. Um one of the sad but true things that we needed to add was absence due to injury or disability from a student assault. And uh this is something that's um becoming more and more um frequent in contracts. Um and again, this is just a safeguard for our teachers, which essentially is saying if they're injured um or disabled due to um a student assault that it's not going to take their benefit days that that there would be days that we would offer them.
013um also has a little bit of language about uh workers compensation and how workers compensation will work. Um, so it's uh one of those um sad but true realities of of where we are right now. >> And there is a process in place for the board that if a if a teacher suggests there's been an assault, there's a process where people come in and investigate that there's a group and and then determination of you know >> approval of >> Exactly. because assault is >> I mean legally that word means something but in the real world so there isn't just the ability to to to say there's been an assault there's a process behind it before we would enact the policy so I thought just making sure that the board understands that we're that we're doing
014this but we're also trying to make sure that >> the school and the teacher are protected by right the investigation that kind of thing would have been incident Correct. Absolutely. >> Absolutely. And and then we like like uh >> like Rob said, we have a team that comes in and just kind of basically it's it's our threat assessment group. >> Yeah. >> And they just come in, they talk about, you know, the whole process, what happened, how everything was handled. Um should we have done something differently? And then of course, you know, if it's not obvious, you know, that there's been and and in most cases, we've only had one of these. Gonna be really honest. We had one last year. We just kind of handled it. Um and uh that teacher was out a
015few days. Um and we worked with the teacher and and again, it you know, they went through the the workers compensation process. Um it's one of those things that you're sorry, you have to add. >> Yeah. So, the whole state. >> It's becoming more and more frequent. Not everybody has the actual language, but it's becoming more and more frequent. And that and that came from ISTA. >> That's from the teachers lawyers >> and they were and I and I don't think it's a bad idea. I mean, I think it's a I think it's probably time unfortunately >> ambiguity around assault because I can assault you verbally, right? So there isn't always like pictures to be taken or something like that, but I can also inflict trauma on you verbally. Right. So we have to I
016think we need to broaden that a little bit to make sure that >> again there would have been some sort of incident. >> Yes. Exactly. And then that threat assessment team assembles and you know kind of does their does their due diligence. But the they I I agree with the with the teachers association on this. that needs to be in there and then and then where we where we end and workers comp begins there needed to be some delineation in that as well. Right. Right. >> And uh once again my math is wrong down there at the bottom. I don't know where I got 05 but anyway uh I apologize for that. Uh so our recurring costs which is really what we were trying to investigate the most. Um this is what happens when the
017colts are losing and I'm doing a PowerPoint. Um and uh so our recurring cost, which is really what we were trying to focus on, um we we ended up having a recurring cost of 146,300, um which was, you know, really pretty much where we were wanting to be. We were able to do a little bit more because of our increase in enrollment. Um so uh and then we we wanted to be able to provide a little bit more and that one-time uh retention stipen and how much that's going to cost us around 66,000 um 750 and then that number down below is wrong. Um but I'll be glad to get that number to you. I think it's fairly close but I think the last digits are turned anyway. Um, so I, uh, again, I feel
018like that we were able to give a little bit of a base increase, which is great. Um, and the, you know, the recurring, uh, costs, um, were pretty much where we needed them to be. Um, in addition, and I I know this is in your packet, the rest of the staff will be getting a one-time stipen um in order to protect our recurring costs. And uh just with the unknowns of what's going on with SEA1, I don't want to tie us down to um a lot of recurring cost that in turn could force us to make some uh staffing decisions later. Any questions on any of that besides my bad map and distractions? >> Yeah, I had two quick questions. Sure. >> How do we compare? >> Um, we are we've only really heard from
019what Western is doing and our our our actual base increase is a little better than uh than Western. Um >> Tri Central went pretty crazy with their >> starting Didn't Tri Central really raise their starting pay a year or two ago? >> They did a few years ago. I think um I have not heard what they ended up doing, but they're what they were doing was pretty similar. >> Yeah. >> Uh what they I I I knew what they were suggesting. I don't know what they finalized. >> Um but I think their base increase I think we're pretty close on what what their base is. I mean I just you know young teachers if they are looking to come out this way that's >> makes a difference. So I just agree >> look from yeah
020from the ones I've seen it looks >> the starting page is the one I'm interested in right that's >> I agree >> and on that note there's that and I'm going to say this publicly Dr. did not say this that legislative arbitrary average pay number that that when people retire and you bring on new people then your average goes down and that somehow is a problem. >> Yep. Yep. >> Do you have you run the math on that how we look? >> Uh we >> I don't care but I you know >> uh well I mean obviously we didn't make that threshold this year. >> Yeah. >> Um I we have not run the math with this. We >> raising pay will help within retirements. You know, >> it >> I'll be on that list
021every year because I don't think it's I don't think it's fair. >> We don't get in trouble, right? It's just an arbitrary >> goal. And we had to post a notice on our website. We we talked about it in our in our meeting. >> Um so we did what is required. Um, again, I'm not sure how you can hit two of the two of the thresholds that we're supposed to and not not hit the third one, >> but um that's going to happen as long as we have teachers >> uh retire and we're replacing them with younger teachers. It's just the way it's going to be. And uh and hopefully um they'll review that. Although I'm going to say they've known that the last couple of years. I'm more than happy to call anyone and
022tell them it's >> please do that because it it just doesn't make any sense. >> Doesn't make any sense. >> And and one of the things that I think that um I don't mean to go off the rails here, but uh there was a report that the um that was part of a summer study commission uh regarding teacher pay, administrator pay comparisons, and um it it's it was really not what a lot of the general assembly wanted to see. uh what they saw was that we were managing money pretty well, that the actual um ratio of administrators to students was far higher than it was two years ago. Um and that there's not that much of a differentiation in pay between administrators and teachers. And and again, um that's the frustrating part because it we're
023constantly, you know, well, they're just mismanaging the funds that we give them and we're not. >> I mean, we we are trying to do the best we can for our people. And if you're not doing that, shame on you. But I have to feel like the vast majority of school corporations in the state of Indiana are giving the money that they can to their teachers because we all want >> competing for those people. So yeah, >> and and so again, I think it's just important to get the word out that you know what, you you make us run all these reports, all these reports point to the same to the same resolution, to the same conclusion, but yet we still get criticized. >> I mean, look at the starting pay. It's up almost 30% in
024six years. >> I mean, 24% increase on the bottom end, 17 on the top end. I mean, nobody else I mean, that's good. Like [laughter] nobody and nobody else in the room has had 24% increase over the last four years in your base. >> Well, maybe the fast food people during co [laughter] >> for some reason $20 an hour, >> but yeah. >> Well, I'd like to say that uh if we get them here, they'll stay. >> Oh, I agree. Totally. >> Yeah. >> And and we're having some conversation that we'll share with you guys later about how to do a little bit more there. >> Yeah. with some cooperation from some other entities. So, >> again, the new teachers, >> let's keep our young people here. >> Let's do what we can to keep
025them here. So, >> and the only other thing I would add before we wrap this up is um >> when you get in when you're involved in the ISBA and stuff like that, you hear these horror stories about contract and negotiation and all this stuff. And we really publicly need to thank our teachers and that association. They are unbelievably wellprepared. They understand the limitations that we're operating within and they were I I mean if everybody negotiated the way the school and the teachers did, this would be a greater world to live in. It was just um but I wanted to publicly thank the teachers. Yes. Um because there were no outrageous demands. There was no anything like that. They understood the vote and the storm that we're in. Right. So I think it's important that
026um we don't always hear that like teachers and >> schools and teachers union having this contentious relationship and for us it's just not that way. It's a really good working relationship and that leadership that is not here uh today but because they're doing their job um it deserves a lot of credit. >> I agree. They're they're great to work with and >> um and again they understand >> you know and and we're on our side we're really transparent. We're just like here it is guys. >> Not all not all >> you know and you used to be you know you always hear those horror stories about you know superintendents hiding money in the lunch fund. That was always the place that they they would hide it. But I mean you can't do that anymore and
027nor should you. I mean >> why would you want to do that? >> We got a great group of teachers. Since it's a one-year deal. >> Yes. >> Um we I assume can't even think about the next deal until the legislature meets again in the spring, >> right? Or >> Well, I mean, we we know what our funding is going to be next year. What we don't know is what our enrollment will be. >> Yeah. >> If we would happen to get another bump in enrollment, then I think, you know, there may be some some ability to, you know, make some adjust, you know, to to do something decent. Um but you know right now you know we've tried to set up know again watching what is recurring you know to try to give something
028to ne for next year. Uh it just there's just a lot more questions than there are answers right now. And um whether there's any kind of conversation in the short session about lit or anything like that which I don't know will happen or not. um that might help our situation a little bit. Um so again, it's it's a balancing act. It's, you know, we're always we're always juggling the funds trying to make sure that everything is working. >> So it's hard to even start or or it's hard to finish until you know your enrollment and and those numbers. >> Yeah. And >> so this is going to be a typical retroactive right >> October, November, right agreement. Okay. It's always been traditionally since since we've been in this process where you can just do a
029two-year contract. Uh we've operated on a two-year contract. The last three years we haven't just because there's been so much question and uh it's a lot easier when it is a two-year >> and uh but um I think one years are just going to be the way it's going to Scott can worry about. I think I think to Rob's point also next year it's fantastic conversations like we go back and it's about as well as maybe some other districts that aren't So again something it'd be again it would be great if we had 20 more students. I mean that that always again we wouldn't be able to do what we did this year without the increase in enrollment. Um that trend that continues then better. >> Very good deal. All right then I would close.
030Uh any comments from the community? >> All right. Uh with that uh I would say we are adjourned and thank you for coming in mid or midday or early day or whatever. So >> thank you very much. I appreciate it. >> Thank you.