Muncie Community Schools has approved raises for teachers during the coronavirus pandemic.  As IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann reports, the district’s board says despite the uncertainty of state funding, they want to reassure teachers that they matter.

 District board members approved salary increases that will cost a combined $678,000.  Board president Jim Williams says it’s likely state revenues will go down next year, but this increase is something the district believes is sustainable.

“Teaching in the classroom matters more than anything else to the welfare of our students.  So that’s why we are taking what we consider to be, perhaps, an unusual step during these times, as you look around to other districts and what’s going on around us.”

The new MCS base salary for teachers was increased from $36,500 to $38,500 at the previous board meeting.  Now, salary increases of between $1,500 and $2,200 will be based on years of experience.  Plus, teachers who have been with MCS for more than four years will receive an extra bonus of $350.

MCS is unique in that its teachers lost their collective bargaining rights in the legislation passed in 2018 that gave responsibility for the district to Ball State University for the foreseeable future.

Williams says the board will also address staff and administrator salary changes in September, barring any unforeseeable changes.  He says those adjustments, once passed, will be retroactive to July 1.