Pleasant Valley approves 2025-26 teacher contract; two elementary hires held as enrollment declines

The Pleasant Valley Community School District board on April 14 approved the 2025–26 certified employees contract, authorizing a 1.68% total package increase for teachers and adopting the same package for administrative staff. Motion to approve the certified contract was made by Director Kunkle and seconded by Director Ayers; the board proceeded to approve administrative wage and benefits at the same increase.

District negotiators and teachers’ representatives chose a package that spreads limited “new money” across staff by lowering certain salary multipliers and increasing the district’s salary index base by $5.15. Superintendent-level staff and district negotiators described the settlement as a compromise after multiple bargaining sessions and an educator ratification vote.

The contract uses a mix of actions to fit state funding: the district projects $542,978 in new state revenue (1.24% net for the district because of enrollment changes), applied $79,830 in assumed open‑enrollment surplus (10 additional students), and counted $153,400 in savings from two vacant first‑grade positions the board decided not to fill. Those adjustments offset portions of the contract’s $622,846 total cost to the teachers’ package, but the district…