Contract, increase approved

The contract for teachers has been approved.

They, and all Jay School Corporation employees, will be getting raises.

Jay School Board on Monday approved its contract with Jay Classroom Teachers Association, memorandums of understanding with administrators and support staff, and pay increases for substitutes.

The agreement with Jay Classroom Teachers Association, which was presented to the board during its regular meeting last week, calls for average raises of 7.5%. The lowest raise comes in at 5.5%

Starting teacher pay is also being increased by 7.5% to $43.003. Teacher salaries range up to $67,003 for those with 30 years of experience. Teachers who have a master’s degree get an additional increase.

Board members Ron Laux, Donna Geesaman, Phil Ford, Jason Phillips, Vickie Reitz, Chip Phillips and Marcie Vormohr unanimously approved the contract.

The teachers association had already approved the contract earlier this month.

“We’re all blessed to have a great relationship between our administration and our teachers association,” said Jay Classroom Teachers Association president Abby Homan. “This year’s bargaining session was friendly and collaborative.”

Gulley noted in data provided to the board Monday that the raise is the largest Jay School Corporation teachers have seen in years. It surpasses the 5.5% average from a year ago. Previous raises for teachers averaged 2% in 2018, 3.5% in 2019, 4% in 2020 and 4.3% in 2021.

“I’d like to thank the board officers for participating in the process, as well as the association for its continued partnership,” said Jay Schools superintendent Jeremy Gulley. “I’ve seen the teacher situation improve year over year. I like the direction it’s going.”

Laux, Geesaman and Ford all made positive comments about the negotiations process, with Geesaman calling it “refreshing.”

The smooth negotiating process — an agreement was reached in just two meetings — comes 10 years after an impasse between the school corporation and the teachers association. The dispute ended up going all the way to the Indiana Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the school corporation but also set aside an Indiana Education Employment Relations Board decision to strike a contract provision that called for additional pay for teachers working outside of their contracted duties.

Asked after Monday’s meeting, Gulley said he feels the recent positive relationship between the school corporation and its teachers stems from a consolidation process that has allowed more money to go into the classroom and a relationship of trust.

“We’ve always told the truth,” he said. “And over time, that trust builds a better process and a better outcome.”

Also approved Monday were memorandums of understanding with administrators and support staff as well as pay increases for substitutes. The votes were unanimous with the exception of Ford dissenting on the memorandum with administrators. (He declined to comment on his vote.)

Raises for administrators came in at 5%, pushing salaries to $143,249 for the superintendent, $120,081 for the assistant superintendent and the special education director, $118,701 for the junior/senior high principal, $102,594 for the high school assistant principal/athletics director and $98,700 for the business manager. Other administrative salaries include $94,339 for elementary school principals as well as the junior/senior high assistant principal for curriculum and $82,000 for assistant elementary principals and the director of e-learning.

All support staff will receive at least a 5% raise with a minimum increase of $1 per hour.

Substitute teacher pay was increased by 6%, with certified substitutes moving to $111 per day and non-certified to $95 per day. Rate increases of between 6% and 15% were implemented for other substitutes.