Batesville announces sweeping changes to teacher compensation package [Greensburg Daily News, Ind.]

Nov. 16—BATESVILLE — At the November meeting of the Batesville Community School Corporation school board, Superintendent Paul Ketcham thanked those involved in working on a new two-year teacher compensation package overhaul which addresses not only pay but insurance benefits and extracurricular positions as well.

"Our new collective bargaining agreement infuses an additional $1 million into the teacher contract," Ketcham said. "These sweeping changes include substantial increases to salaries, corporation health care contributions, and stipends for extracurricular leaders, retroactive to the beginning of the school year. We have nearly 300 students who have transferred into our school district, some because of how we invest in students. This is the corporation's way of showing that we invest in teachers, too."

By the end of the two-year contract which expires at the conclusion of the 2022-23 school year, teachers will have seen average increases of 15% in salaries, 30% in corporation contributions to health care premiums, and 11% in extracurricular activity stipends since the beginning of the 2019-20 academic year.

"We're committed to our teachers," Ketcham said. "For example, last year many corporations didn't increase teacher pay due to the pandemic. We did, even if it was a bit smaller than in other years. Starting teacher salaries are now set at $40,000, and those who choose to make it a long-term career have the ability to move up the scale. This new agreement showcases our ongoing commitment to our corporation family."

According to the superintendent, the beginning of the 2019-20 school year provides an appropriate starting point from which to view the positive impact made by the corporation on the overall teacher compensation plan.

"While the pay increases over the next two years are defined dollar amounts per teacher, teacher salaries, on average, will rise by 4 percent this year and then another 4 percent the year after that," Ketcham said. "This is on top of a 5 percent boost given in 2019-20 and a 2 percent adjustment last year. Our contributions to teacher health insurance premiums will also jump by 10 percent this year and another 10 percent the year after. That equals a 30 percent reduction in the teacher-paid portion of health care insurance costs since 2019. We aren't only focused on our teachers when they are in the classroom; we also care about their physical health and that of their families. We are picking up more of the bill."

Many teachers also contribute to student success by serving as coaches or sponsors of extracurricular activities, according to Ketcham. Stipends for those positions will increase by a total of 6 percent between now and May 2023. A previous 5 percent stipend increase occurred in 2019-20.

Ketcham said that BCSC wants to incentivize teachers to take on that additional opportunity outside of the classroom and impact students after the school day has ended. He explained that extracurricular coaches and sponsors take time out of their personal hours to provide leadership to our student activities. This pay increase helps make it more worth their while, he said.

"One of the things we're proudest of is that families seek out our school system in order to meet their children's educational needs," Ketcham said. "No matter what the impetus is for a transfer — a job change, an urge to move to a smaller, safer community, or the realization that the current school situation just isn't working — BCSC has that widespread reputation of educational excellence. It's palpable here in Batesville. This agreement shows that attracting and retaining quality teachers is an integral part of our mission. I keep saying we invest in people. With this new compensation package, we literally do so."

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