AKRON – The Tippecanoe Valley School Board held a preliminary determination hearing for public input on the high school building project Monday.
Superintendent Blaine Conley said, according to Indiana Code 6-1.1-20-3.5, the School Board must hold two hearings and adopt a resolution to issue additional bonds to fund the project.
Preliminary hearings were held in spring 2021 and adopted a preliminary determination resolution. Bonds according to the resolution were issued in February 2022. Construction bids were received in October 2022 and exceeded the original estimates for the project and the Board is proposing the issuance of bonds for the additional financing of the building project.
The scope of the building project includes the construction of an auditorium, pool renovations, collaboration areas, facade improvements and agriculture classrooms/labs.
The project is expected to begin April 3, 2023, and have a substantial completion date of Oct. 30, 2024, Conley said. The building project is tax rate neutral, he stated.
There were no community members at the meeting and no public input was received.
A second public hearing will be at 6 p.m. Monday at the administration office.
After the public hearing, the Board held a special meeting to hear the terms of the 2022-23 tentative agreement with the Tippecanoe Valley Classroom Teachers’ Association.
Conley said on Oct. 26 the administration met with the Teachers’ Association.
Teachers with a Bachelors of Science will receive a $2,000 salary increase while teachers with a Masters of Science will receive a $2,400 salary increase.
The starting salary for teachers was moved up to $44,175 for teachers with a bachelor’s degree. The top of the salary scale for teachers with a master’s degree is $75,850.
The new pay rate will be effective Saturday.
Board President Tom Bauters asked if the starting pay was one of the strongest in the area. Conley said he believed it was.
The insurance increase for employees who take the school corporation’s insurance plan will see a 4% increase from the corporation.
Teachers who teach dual credit and AP classes will receive a stipend of $500 per syllabus, he said.
The agreement will be voted on during a Nov. 7 meeting.
