BCSC school board signs off on new teacher contract

Bartholomew Consolidated School educators have a new contract.

The teachers union voted to approve the contract last week and the school board voted at is meeting this week to also approve the contract. The agreement would see an average pay increase of about 6 percent in each of the next two school years.

Starting teachers will see their pay rise from the current $39,065 to $44,600 in the contract’s second year. The top of the pay scale for teachers would be $83,600, with a $90,000 salary including referendum increases.

The plan will also reduce the number of pay steps for teachers, from the current 33 tiers to 27. Each step will increase from the current $1,200 dollars difference between steps to $1,500 dollars per tier.

Educators will also see a 5 percent decrease in dental premiums.

The two-year contract with the Columbus Educators Association will be retroactive to the start of this school year. It could be reopened if there was a crisis in the health insurance trust fund.