Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Labor And Employment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Pleasant Valley approves 2025-26 teacher contract; two elementary hires held as enrollment declines
Summary
The Pleasant Valley board approved a 2025-26 certified employee contract with a 1.68% total package increase and related administrative pay increases, while placing two first‑grade hires on hold and delaying two kindergarten hires to address a projected $281,000 budget shortfall driven by enrollment shifts and limited new state money.
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 reported a projected shortfall of roughly $281,000 for next year under the chosen configuration.
Why it matters: District leaders said the district cannot sustain the prior pattern of across‑the‑board step increases without trimming positions where student enrollments no longer justify full staffing. Officials stressed the decision to hold positions uses attrition and reassignments where possible rather than immediate layoff notices.
Key elements of the agreement and budget actions - Total teacher package increase: 1.68% (includes salary and benefits). The district reported the teacher package cost for the agreement as $622,846. - New money from the state (estimated): $542,978; district used an additional $79,830 from open‑enrollment surplus (10 students) to augment revenue. - Salary structure changes: reduced non‑longevity multipliers by 0.044 (a multi‑option approach teachers voted to accept for this year) and raised the certified index base by $5.15 (to $35,190). The district also used Teacher Salary Supplement (TSS) funds to raise the lowest certified cell to the $50,000 required minimum. - Health/dental/benefits: district reported no increase in health insurance premiums for a third consecutive year; a small dental premium increase was listed as $4,352. - Staffing changes: two first‑grade hires will not be filled (savings $153,400). The district also flagged two kindergarten positions as “on hold” and said it will use internal reassignments where possible; if those kindergarten sections are not filled, staff said that would save roughly $184,000. - New positions planned: additions at the high school (English, business, physical education), a district custodian, a junior‑high assistant principal (conversion of a dean role), and an elementary dean (final placement to be determined with principals).
Board discussion and process District administrators (presenters identified in the meeting as “Mister Drews,” “Mike,” and others) walked the board through multiple cost lines: step increases, lane changes, longevity multipliers, benefit premiums and the TSS distribution. Administrators said they presented teachers with three options during bargaining (keep multipliers, reduce non‑longevity multipliers by 0.022, or reduce by 0.044); teachers ratified the 0.044 reduction option as a one‑year approach to make raises more equitable across experience levels. Administrators said this also helps set up an alternative salary structure in future negotiations.
Several board members and staff emphasized the district’s goal to use attrition and internal movement rather than involuntary separations. Administrators gave counts of open seats: current first grade had roughly 80 open seats districtwide against a 24‑seat capacity model and kindergarten showed 64 currently open seats; projected kindergarten for next year showed 87 open seats at the time of discussion. Officials said those numbers justified holding the two first‑grade hires and exploring internal moves for the kindergarten openings.
Votes and next steps The board motion to approve the certified employees contract was made by Director Kunkle and seconded by Director Ayers; the board moved on to approve the administrative wage and benefits package (same 1.68% package) and then began meetings with classified staff to discuss compensation for next year. Administrators said they will continue to monitor enrollment, open‑enrollment placements, and retirements/resignations and will seek to fill positions if and when student counts require them.
Ending District leaders urged community members that the choices reflect current enrollment and the state funding picture; they said staffing decisions will be revisited before the start of the school year if enrollment trends change.
