The Culver Community School Board members took action last week to ratify the collective bargaining agreement with the Culver Community Teachers Association.
Prior to its ratification, Culver Community Teachers Association Co-Presidents Missy Trent and Todd Shafer presented information pertaining to a survey taken by the members who were concerned and upset about the change in hours for teachers.
Shafer said teachers are often at school prior to the 7:45 a.m. ET and stay past 3:15 p.m. ET using their own time. The proposed change is a 7:30 a.m. ET to 3:30 p.m. ET teacher day. Shafer said the extra half hour a day takes away from personal time and it could affect time to get to coaching duties, outside appointments or second jobs. Shafer commented that teachers already feel pressure and stress which could lead to burn out and the extra time would add to that.
Trent commented that morale is low and some teachers would have liked a discussion prior to the memorandum about the new hours.
Superintendent Karen Shuman told the board that she previously provided each member with data from other schools in the state that involves hours, salaries and benefits for review.
Following that presentation, the board moved forward with the ratification of the Master Contract.
Superintendent Karen Shuman said during the board’s public hearing held October 16, the base pay for teachers will increase $5,000 over two years ($2,500 per year) and the school corporation will take on a four percent increase in insurance so the teachers will not take on that cost.
Extra Curricular wages were increased six percent and then rounded evenly.
Shuman said everything else was standard in the contract.
The hours for teachers will be as proposed.
The board unanimously agreed to ratify the agreement. Board President Jack Jones and Culver Community Teachers Association Co-President Todd Shafer both signed the document.
