By Emma Rausch
emma@thepaperofwabash.com
WABASH – The Wabash City Schools Board of Education approved the ratification of its 2016-2017 Master Contract at its meeting Tuesday, Sept. 6.
The contract, which was formed between the WCS Board of Trustees and the Wabash County Teachers Association, states the terms to which both parties agree, such as sick leave days and salary increases.
For the 2016-2017 school year, teachers will receive a $600 salary increase.
Negotiations for the contract are not simple, according to Jason Callahan, superintendent.
As state law prevents the Board from “officially collective bargaining” until Aug. 1, Callahan said the Board does not “really know what the budget looks like until … late first semester.”
“So it’s kind of a funny system that we’re always juggling,” he continued. “So Matt (Stone, chief business officer) actually began building the budget back in May, and we get some kind of estimated revenue, but a bunch of kids showing up on your doorstep early August, you don’t necessarily know in May.
“So he built this budget after the (teacher) cuts to include a $400 base increase for our certified staff, our teachers.”
WCS received a number of new students, according to Callahan.
“Money follows kids, but we don’t know what that exactly looks like until Sept. 16 and then in the budget calendar, you get a second count day in February and that will be adjusted again,” he continued. “So it’s tough to try to negotiate because a lot of people will see that you have an extra amount of kids thus extra dollars, but trying to explain that it’s like going to a money lender when you know you should have this money coming in but you’re going to go ahead and spend it.”
WCS also received $19,400 from the Local Option Income Tax in early spring, the superintendent continued.
“This was a one-time give back to the school systems,” Callahan explained. “You’re not going to create a position with a one-time (gift), so we’re going to add that to a base because the base is going to be a reoccurring expense and so we added it in a stipend and so it will add onto that $400 and make it a $600 extra compensation.
“But again that stipend is one time and so that $200 is just for the 2016-2017 year. If we get that LOIT again in the future, it could be something that we look to negotiate and add to salary, but that $400 stays on the base and will be reoccurring.”
In other news, the Board also approved the 2016-2017 Support Personnel Wages and Benefits handbook, which included a 2 percent raise for all non-certified employees not specifically listed in the handbook.