PENDLETON — South Madison Community School Corp. has reached a tentative agreement with South Madison Classroom Teachers Association.
Superintendent Mark Hall announced the tentative collective bargaining deal in a mandatory public hearing following the Oct. 22 meeting of SMCSC Board of School Trustees.
Hall highlighted some of details of the contract in delivering his message to board members.
The agreement entails there would be no increase in base salary, nor change in insurance and benefits, Hall told the board.
He said all teachers (with bachelor’s degrees, but not a master’s degree) who were evaluated as effective or highly effective moved up one line on the salary matrix, equal to an increase of $1,135.
Teachers (with a master’s degree) at top of the salary matrix who earned the same evaluation would not move up a line but would receive a one-time stipend of $1,135.
An additional stipend was earmarked for an online learning coordinator for $2,231.
“We think it’s necessary to oversee all of the virtual learning we’re doing right now,” Hall said. “We don’t have a person in that position.
“I want to thank the (South Madison) Classroom Teachers Association. We had two very productive meetings.”
The contract is scheduled to be ratified at the next school board meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m. today, Thursday, Nov. 5.
Pandemic plan
Ron Hinton, a math teacher from the high school, closed the Oct. 22 board meeting by thanking the board for work that has been done during the school year concerning the COVID-19 pandemic protocol.
“We’re in some crazy times here, and nobody knows what’s really going to happen,” he said. “We’re making our way through it the best we can.”
Hall said they were working on nine consecutive weeks of in-person school.
“It’s been a smooth ship in some awfully choppy waters, and we’re not out of it by a long streak, but right now the ship is running real smoothly,” school board secretary Bill Hutton said.
“I know we have some critical times coming up pretty soon,” Hutton added.
Personnel report
The board approved the following personnel items at its October meetings:
• The retirement of bus driver Richard Boyer.
• The certified staff recommendations of Dawn Ruffer as a virtual teacher for Pendleton Elementary Intermediate School and Peighton Dobbins as a long-term virtual substitute teacher for PEIS.
• The support staff resignations of bus driver Charlie Miller, Pendleton Heights Middle School instructional assistant Shelby Bostic and East Elementary School fitness instructional assistant Destine Gibson.
• The support staff recommendations of Natalie Middleton as an instructional assistant at PHMS; Jeff Thompson and Ryan McAtee as maintenance for the Administrative Service Center and Dustin Ritz as fitness instructional assistant at East.
• The transfer of Deja Gibson as an instructional aide at East to long-term virtual substitute teacher at PEIS.
• The resignation of coaches PHMS assistant wrestling coach Mitch Todd and PHMS boys assistant track coach Rebekah Bennett-Maiorana.
• The extra-curricular recommendations of Kassandra Joviak as girls freshman basketball coach at Pendleton Heights High School and Joshua Haskett as co-sponsor of student council at PHMS.
• Leave request for Pendleton Elementary Primary School teacher Cortney Flowers.