The Indianapolis Public Schools Board approved a new two-year contract tonight for more than 2,000 school administrators, bus drivers and hourly staff that includes more than $4 million in extra pay.
IPS is offering two pay proposals for the employee union to ratify -- one is based around annual bonus for “loyal employees” and the other is a 3 percent pay increase.
IPS Superintendent Lewis Ferebee said the investment comes as the district faces a $11 million dollar state funding cut from changes in how tuition support for poor districts are calculated.
Yet the district plans to spend more than $20 million on pay for teachers and staff based on bonuses offered last year, the first raises for teacher in years and this contract for unclassified and non-teaching positions.
Ferebee said the district can afford the compensation increases after two years of job reductions, property sales and consolidating services within the district.
Due to the unstable nature of state funding, the district is hopeful the union’s voting members will accept annual bonuses over a 1.5 percent base-pay raise for this year and next.
“We wanted to ensure that we can get as much money in their pocket,” he said, adding that employees eligible for bonuses this year and in 2016 would see the equivalent of a nearly 12 percent pay raise.
The contract also includes a change for bus drivers. If the district cancels school early in the morning yet drivers and other transportation staff have show up to work, they will receive two hours of pay.
To be eligible for pay increases, employees will have worked at least 12 months as of Dec. 1 of 2015 and 2016, and not facing disciplinary action, and/or rated as effective or highly effective.
According to the district:
2015 Bonus Returning employees who were hired by the District before July 1, 2014, who remained employees of the District as of November 1, 2015 will be paid a one-time loyalty bonus in the gross amount of $1,250.
2016 Bonus: Employees who received the 2015 bonus and remain employees of July 1, 2016 will be paid a one-time loyalty bonus in the gross amount of $1,500. Employees who were hired before July 1, 2015, did not receive the 2015 bonus, and who remain employees as of July 1, 2016 will be paid a one-time loyalty bonus in the gross amount of $1,250.
Contact WFYI education reporter Eric Weddle at eweddle@wfyi.org or call (317) 614-0470. Follow on Twitter: @ericweddle.
