ANDERSON - The Anderson Community Schools (ACS) Board of Trustees approved a new two-year collective bargaining agreement on November 30, 2021 between ACS and the Anderson Federation of Teachers (AFT). In addition to bargaining unit positions, the Board of Trustees also approved salary increases for other ACS employees.
“We’re very happy that it’s been approved, and we feel like we did the best we could for everybody across the board,” ACS board President Patrick Hill said in an interview with The Herald Bulletin.
The new contract with the AFT will provide teachers and other certified staff with a $2,500 base salary increase this year and a $1,500 base salary increase next year. Non-certified staff will receive a 5% raise this year and a 3% raise next year. Both certified and non-certified staff will receive a series of stipends over the next two years.
ACS and the AFT reached a tentative contract agreement last month. At the time, Superintendent Dr. Joe Cronk and AFT President Randy Harrison shared this joint statement:
“The success of our school corporation depends on our ability to recruit and retain the best educators for our students. “This new collective bargaining agreement demonstrates our shared commitment in doing so. We are pleased that we can now move forward with a renewed focus and enthusiasm around advancing our school corporation.”
In addition to certified and non-certified staff in the bargaining unit, pay increases for other ACS staff members were also approved by the Board of Trustees:
- Administrators and administrative support staff will receive the same as certified staff members in the bargaining unit
- Paraeducators, food service, truant officers, hall/lunch monitors, and locker room supervisors will each receive a 5% raise this year and a 3% raise next year.
- Paraeducators will receive additional premium pay based on years of service.
- Substitute teachers will see an increase of $10 per day.
- Substitute nurses will move to the substitute teacher rates.
- Substitute secretaries and custodians will each move to a starting rate of $10 per hour.
- Staff working on the 21st Century Grant and ROTC Officers will each receive a $2,000 Referendum stipend in December 2021.