Lake Central board reviews tentative teachers’ collective bargaining agreement, delays final vote

Lake Central School Corporation held a special board meeting on Monday, Nov. 10, to present a tentative collective bargaining agreement for teachers and to outline next steps for ratification and board action. Dr. Baraka introduced the single-item agenda and said the Central Teachers Association will meet to discuss and hopefully ratify the agreement before the board considers final approval.

Board member Miss Kelly moved to approve the tentative agreement and Dr. Malco seconded the motion, but the board did not take a vote that evening. "We just have the one item this evening... to present to the board, officially, the tentative collective bargaining agreement," Dr. Baraka said, adding that board members should raise any objections before the proposal goes to the teachers' union for consideration. "If you have objections, that you bring them up now before it goes to the teacher's union. And then once they ratify it, you'll take action next Monday," Dr. Baraka said.

A board member praised negotiators for their responsiveness: "I would just like to thank Larry, Sarah, and Rob for answering all of the many questions we all had in discussing this," one member said, noting the time staff invested to respond to board inquiries. Another member observed the district appears to be "in alignment with most of the corporations in the area," reflecting regional patterns in teacher-bargaining timing.

No members of the public were present to offer comment during the meeting; Dr. Baraka told viewers and archive watchers that the public would have one final opportunity to comment at the board's meeting next Monday prior to any final ratification. The board then moved to adjourn; the motion to adjourn was seconded and approved with members responding "Aye." The board will reconvene next Monday for the final opportunity for public comment and to consider formal approval after the teachers' association completes its process.