The Portage Township School Board is set to vote Monday on $1,750 raises for teachers.
The new salary range, retroactive to July 1, would be $51,500 to $82,480.
The new contract reached between the board and the Portage Association of Teachers is for one year.
“The board would like to thank the negotiations team from P.A.T. and the administration team for continuing to prioritize teacher recruitment and retention through the bargaining process,” School Board President Andy Maletta said during a brief board meeting Wednesday.
Among the highlights of the new contract are providing payment for content area masters, a stipend for teaching advanced placement and dual credit courses, and raising the payment for sick days.
“We’re very appreciative of all the things that you and the teachers in the district do,” Maletta told the P.A.T. representatives.
Board Vice President Wilma Vazquez, who won her re-election bid Tuesday, said she attended a brief negotiating session, at which Director of Finance Nicholas Gron laid out numbers for both sides to consider. “I thought at that point it was a very positive atmosphere,” she said. “I’m happy to see it continued.”
“I thought it was very respectful,” School Board attorney Ken Elwood said.
Negotiations are complex, P.A.T. Co-President Dessa Lewandowski Kelley said. “So many of those pieces are interlocked together, and as one piece changes, another piece might have to change.”
Tuesday’s gubernatorial victory by Republican Mike Braun loomed large over the meeting.
“I think it is important to acknowledge how our state legislation is affecting our public school finances,” Lewandowski Kelley said
“We definitely have a fight for public schools and teachers,” Maletta said.
“What you’re doing is sharing information that is accurate and positive, and that makes a huge difference,” Vazquez told Lewandowski Kelley.
“You made some statements that touched everyone,” Vazquez said, saying it’s not just about what the district can do but what can be done downstate.
Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
