MITCHELL- Contract negotiations between Mitchell Community Schools and the Mitchell Education Association (MEA) have stalled, leading both parties to seek mediation through the Indiana Education Employment Relations Board. Teachers have expressed frustration over dismal salary increases, noting that the district’s offer—a $500 raise and a smaller stipend—falls significantly behind neighboring school corporations, where raises range from $2,000 to $3,000 per teacher. Teachers argue this low compensation affects staff retention and morale, especially as budget surpluses exist. Mediation dates remain pending.
The Mitchell School Board met Monday, December 9, with board members Christopher Shaw, Patrick Redman, Crystal Mikels, Steve Burton, Krystal Shetler, school attorney Mr. Greg Pittman, Superintendent Dr. Brent Comer, and Assistant Superintendent Ms. Jessica Jones present.
Robyn Embry, a representative from the Mitchell Education Association, read this statement:
“Mediation between Mitchell Community Schools and the Mitchell Education Association in regard to this year’s Master Teacher Contract is scheduled to start later this month. Our teachers continue to be very disappointed that an acceptable agreement could not be reached in the normal time frame for bargaining. By the time mediation starts, we will have worked an entire semester without a contract. Of more than 300 public school corporations in the state of Indiana, Mitchell is one of only three that have not settled an agreement. Recent Indiana teacher contract settlements average a 2.6% increase over last year. The contract proposed by Mitchell Community Schools offers only a 1% raise. The beginning teacher salary at Mitchell is already more than $3200 below the state average, and at the other end of the scale, the top salary at Mitchell is nearly $8000 below the average top teacher salary in Indiana.
We would like to remind the public of the timeline of events that has led us to this unfortunate situation. On October 2, the Mitchell Education Association, which represents teachers in this district, gave our proposal for a teacher’s contract to the corporation. There were several meetings in October that were unproductive because of a lack of a counter offer from the corporation. It was not until November 4 that our teachers received the disturbing, current counter offer from the corporation. That delay of more than a month, as well the small salary increase that was offered, was troubling and is what has put us in this position today.
The corporation’s delay in settling a contract means a delay in this year’s adjusted wages for teachers. This has pushed our teachers into a painful situation with their families as Christmas is approaching. MCS teachers normally expect that a contract is settled before Thanksgiving and that their increase in salary and back pay will contribute to Christmas for their families. Unfortunately this year, because of the school corporation’s delay in settling a contract, teachers will not receive that back pay and raise until after the New Year. We would like to ask that you consider how this is affecting our families.
It is also important to note that our teachers could be making more money in any of the surrounding districts, according to salary schedules in communities like Orleans, North Lawrence, and Shoals. All of those corporations already have a higher salary scale than Mitchell, and just this year, Orleans teachers received a $2,000 raise, North Lawrence teachers received a $3,000 raise, and Shoals teachers received a $2,800 raise. The current offer on the table from this board is a $500 per teacher increase in salary, and an even smaller one-time stipend. This is problematic on its own, but we also find it especially troubling when many teachers’ years of experience are not currently reflected in their steps and salary. We are committed to Mitchell, but we also question how the corporation will be able to retain our outstanding educators and hire quality candidates when the long-term outlook here for salaries is so bleak.
According to factual data, the corporation is in a position to give teachers a reasonable salary increase. On the Form 9, filed with the Indiana Department of Education on June 30, 2024, shows the corporation had a cash balance of $3.42 million dollars in the Education Fund, which is the fund from which teachers are paid. On that same form, filed the previous year, the Education Fund had a cash balance of $2.99 million dollars. The cash balance in the Education Fund has had an increase of nearly a half million dollars from 2023 to 2024. Additionally, between the Education fund and the Rainy Day fund, the corporation has a cash balance of $5.93 million dollars with an annual budget of $11.6 million dollars. That’s a 51% cash balance between just those two funds. This is more than triple the amount the state suggests that schools maintain in order to remain healthy and solvent. What our teachers are asking for would not take an exorbitant amount of the money that is currently available. We believe our request is well within the financial abilities of the corporation, and we have already reduced our original request by more than 50%.
We ask that between now and the start of mediation the board re-examine its stance on our master contract and reconsider its dismal offer to teachers. We have dedicated our professional lives to this school corporation, and what’s currently being offered is an insult to our fine group of professional, dedicated teachers who deserve consideration and respect.
On behalf of the Mitchell Education Association, we thank you for your time and consideration, and we look forward to mediation and a resolution to this situation.”
