Goshen schools reach agreement on contract
GOSHEN — The Goshen Community Schools administrative team and the Goshen Education Association (GEA) have reached a tentative agreement on the 2024-25 master contract, school officials announced Tuesday.
The administrators expressed their appreciation for GEA members for working together to get the contract agreed upon in a cordial, timely manner.
This contract was ratified by the teachers' union (GEA) on Wednesday, Oct. 9, and will be final pending school board approval on Oct. 28. The master contract was a discussion item on Tuesday's school board agenda and will return to the board for a vote on Oct. 28.
Highlights of the GCS 2024-25 master contract:
Starting teacher salaries, with a bachelor's, $50,000, with a master's, $51,575
The top of the pay scale is now $70,540 for those with a bachelor's degree and $80,015 for those with a master's.
The new salary schedule decreased the number of steps to reach the top of the pay scale; bachelor's going from 17 steps to 13 and master's going from 29 to 18.
Teachers will receive compensation equal to $4,900, with a minimum of $2,810 placed on the base salary.
The average wage increase was 7.1 percent on base pay and 1.5 percent in one-time stipends.
Changes were made to the district's insurance coverage, including 100 percent coverage for preventative care, and a reduced out-of-pocket maximum for high-deductible Plan C. Most employees will see a reduction in their premiums.
Parental leave was increased from five to 10 days. (Paid parental leave is for employees following the birth of a child or the placement of a child with an employee in connection with adoption or foster care.)
Stipends: teachers credentialed to instruct Dual Credit courses will receive a stipend of $500 per year; teachers teaching a Dual Credit course will receive a stipend of $500 per semester per course; teachers who hold a Literacy Endorsement per Indiana Code 20-28-9-1.5(e) will receive a stipend of $250 per year
The extracurricular pay schedule was increased by 5 percent (pay for coaches, directors, department chairs, club sponsors, etc.)
Miscellaneous pay increases: in-house substitute, $35 per hour (was $30); lunch duty, $30 per hour (was $25); summer school, $50 per hour (was $40); curriculum work, $25 per hour (was $20)
"With successful negotiations behind them, the teachers and administrators can now focus on the district's commitment to student achievement," the district said in a news release. "We are committed to having a top-performing educational system that prepares our graduates for college, careers and life. GCS administrators, teachers and staff will work together for the rest of the school year to ensure that all students experience a successful year of learning and growth.
