BROWNSTOWN — The first step in the process to increase the salary of Brownstown Central Community School Corp.’s superintendent has been completed.

During a special meeting Monday night at the administration office, the public was given an opportunity to provide comments regarding the proposed three-year contract for Superintendent Tim Taylor.

According to Gateway, his current salary is $118,514.75. The proposed contract has his salary increasing to $132,500, beginning Feb. 15 of this year and ending Feb. 14, 2025.

Nearly 20 corporation staff members attended Monday night’s meeting, but none of them made any comments when board President Scott Shade opened up the floor for that opportunity.

The meeting was adjourned 2 minutes after it was called to order.

The second and final step will be the board considering approval of the contract during its regular monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the administration office, 608 W. Commerce St., Brownstown. It’s open to the public and press.

The contract had been posted on the corporation’s website Feb. 16 to give anyone an opportunity to view it before the special meeting was called. It’s available at btownccs.k12.in.us/school-board/contract.

No reason for the increase was given during the meeting, but after it was adjourned, Shade said a list of the salaries of about a dozen superintendents in the area was provided to the board. Many of those salaries were above $130,000.

Taylor was hired by Brownstown in the summer of 2019. He had spent the prior school year teaching chemistry and biology at Southwestern High School in Hanover. Before that, he had been assistant principal and principal at Jennings County High School and superintendent of Jac-Cen-Del Community School Corp.

His annual base salary at Brownstown in the beginning was $112,500. That original contract stated the board may adjust the salary at the end of each year of employment if Taylor’s annual performance evaluation was rated as effective or highly effective. The annual salary increase could not exceed $2,500.

The new contract is for 260 days each year, including board-approved leave days and holidays.

The board agrees to review his performance once per contract year, and Taylor may request an additional review.

Beginning with this school year and each contract year thereafter, if Taylor is evaluated as highly effective or effective, the board may in its sole discretion increase his base salary or grant him a one-time performance pay stipend in an amount that matches or exceeds that given to other district administrators so long as it does not exceed $10,000.

Also, Taylor would be entitled to a contribution equal to 2% of his salary deposited into his account established under the corporation’s 401(a) plan.

Plus, he would be granted 20 paid vacation days, 14 paid sick days, 10 paid holidays and five personal days for each contract year.

If at the end of the school year, Taylor has accumulated 90 or more sick days, he shall receive a deposit to his 401(a) plan account equal to $80 multiplied by the number of sick days he had accrued but not used that school year. Also, any unused personal days at the end of a contract year would be rolled into his accumulated sick days.

The contract also states the board would pay to Taylor’s additional salary in a sum equal to the employer health insurance premium contribution offered to certificated administrative employees. This allowance for health benefits, including vision, long-term disability and life insurance, would be used by Taylor to pay for such benefits.

In addition, the board would make a contribution to the Indiana State Teachers’ Retirement Fund that would otherwise be required by the superintendent, and Taylor will have a fuel credit card, a credit card and a cellphone to use for school purposes and be reimbursed for appropriate business and professional expenses approved by the board.

This contract may be extended, renewed, altered or rescinded at any time by mutual consent of the parties or as otherwise provided in the contract and pursuant to Indiana law.

The parties also agree the length of the agreement may be extended for not more than an additional five years beyond the original term, provided Taylor receives an effective or a highly effective evaluation rating and no party objects to such an extension.