MEDORA

The Medora Community School Corp. board of trustees has proposed a reduction in the corporation’s contribution to the teachers retirement fund.

The plan is to use that money to increase the base pay by $5,000.

During a public hearing Monday night in the school library, Superintendent Roger Bane said House Bill 1001 gives school corporations a 2% reduction in the teachers retirement contribution.

The purpose of the hearing was for the board to discuss what it intends to do with that money and to allow for public comment. The only person at the meeting was government and social studies teacher Reuben Nehrt, who represented the teachers.

Bane said the projected 2019-20 accumulative salaries for certified teaching staff before negotiations is $627,193. The total savings based on that figure in the teachers retirement contribution is $12,544.

Along with possibly raising the current base pay from $32,500 to $37,500, Bane said the plan is to extend the salary schedule an additional five years. That will allow teachers who are maxed out on the salary schedule to receive salary increases as they gain evaluations and experience, he said.

The proposed base pay increase will cost the school corporation about $25,000 to make the changes to the master contract, Bane said. The new projected 2019-20 accumulative salaries is $652,193.

There were prenegotiation meetings last fall, and negotiations with the Medora Classroom Teachers Association can’t officially begin until Sept. 15.