Silver Creek board reviews tentative one‑year teacher agreement with pay increases, stipends and expanded extracurricular roles

SILVER CREEK — At a Nov. 5 special meeting, Silver Creek School Corporation staff presented a summary of a tentative one‑year collective bargaining agreement with the Silver Creek Teachers Association that would apply to the 2025–26 school year.

Silver Creek School Corporation staff member Doctor Briggs presented the agreement overview and said it lists roughly 12 items. He said the salary scale would increase by $1,200, producing a base pay increase of $1,200 for all teachers; teachers with an early literacy endorsement on their license would receive an additional $200 to base salary; and all teachers would receive a one‑time $500 stipend. The district will continue contributing to health savings accounts for employees enrolled in the high‑deductible health plan, Briggs said.

The agreement also adjusts leave and stipend provisions, Briggs said. Bereavement leave was increased for teachers who experience the death of a spouse, child or stepchild. The association president’s leave days were increased to 10 and those days may be shared among the association’s bargaining team. A stipend for teachers holding a special education endorsement increased to $1,250 (an increase of $250), and a $250 stipend was listed for certain endorsements — for example, dual credit, English language learner or high‑ability endorsements — when the endorsement is not being used in the teacher’s current assignment.

Briggs said the draft also includes technical and clarifying edits, including corrections to typographical and grammatical errors and clarified language on criminal background checks. He deferred to staff for details on extracurricular activity (ECA) changes.

Doctor Balmer, a Silver Creek staff member, said most ECA changes create or adjust assistant coaching positions because of larger participation in sports — citing an expansion in middle‑school track participation as one example. Balmer said some activities are being moved from club status into IHSA‑approved competitive status (including men’s volleyball and girls wrestling), and the agreement adds some new academic support roles such as department chair, grade‑level chair and mentor positions aimed at supporting teachers and students.

No formal ratification occurred at the Nov. 5 meeting; staff announced a special meeting on Monday, Nov. 10, when the board will be asked to approve the 2025–26 bargaining agreement.

The agreement summary is posted on the district website under quick links, according to staff. The presentation did not include a districtwide budget total or a breakdown of projected fiscal impact for the 2025–26 school year.