Munster board hears proposed two-year tentative teacher contract with raises, PTO and benefit changes

The School Town of Munster Board of School Trustees heard a presentation on a tentative two-year collective bargaining agreement with the Munster Teachers Association at a special meeting. The proposal would give most teachers roughly a 4% raise in the first year (up to 4.7% for teachers meeting multiple eligibility factors) and about half those increases in year two, increase the district’s contribution toward employee health insurance, raise the district minimum and maximum teacher salaries and change paid-time-off and retirement-annuity provisions.

The tentative agreement matters to hiring and retention in Munster and is tied to state funding projections. “We are hoping to to settle a 2 year contract with the with the teachers association,” Dr. Hicks said while presenting the contract overview. Dr. Hicks also said certain pay criteria are required “per Indiana code.”

Under the proposal, year-one raises would come from five factors: evaluation rating (effective/highly effective = 1.9%), one year of service (additional 1.6%), an additional master’s in a content area (amount included in the model), participation in a professional learning community the prior year (0.5%) and an early-literacy endorsement (state-required differential). Dr. Hicks said the full 4.7% increase would be…