INDIANAPOLIS — Pike Township teachers are once again voicing their concerns at the school board meeting Thursday night by demanding better compensation.
The district and the Pike Classroom Teachers Association are in the middle of negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement.
Two weeks ago, teachers addressed the board sharing their frustrations.
“For 22 years I have been in this district, and I have worked hard like my colleagues. We deserve to be paid what we are worth,” said one Pike Township teacher.
“As a teacher that makes all other professions possible, I shouldn’t have to beg for a pay increase to comfortably support my family,” said another teacher.
The PCTA started negotiating for a new collective bargaining agreement in September. Their deadline is Nov. 15, but they hope to have an agreement by Nov. 5 in time to get the board’s approval. If not the teachers association and district will move into mediation.
"One of the things that needs addressed is the things that happened in the past. In 2020 and 2021 budget were deficit budgets by $6 to $8 million every year and there is no money to bargain. They are approved by the board members. So, our board just haven’t paid attention to that and it’s unfortunate,” said Mike Bankert, the treasurer of the Pike Classroom Teachers Association, who spoke with 13News outside the classroom during his time off. “We still want to make a deal. We are still there to bargain.”
The district also doesn’t have a referendum. Bankert said his group has tried twice to present referendum ideas and was told they are unsustainable.
“What’s happening now is these districts are tapping into those resources and Pike can’t and what’s going to happen ultimately is we are going to have teachers fleeing the district,” he said.
He said parents should be asking school leaders how their dollars are being spent.
“Don’t just rubber-stamp everything and just assume my dollars are going to the right things. Ask questions. Ask your school board officials. Ask your superintendent. Ask your former CFO,” Bankert said.
Pike Classroom Teacher Association said the district’s compensation philosophy needs to change and does not value existing teachers, saying they fear students will not have enough teachers in the classrooms.
PCTA said based on volunteer data, a 10-year teacher makes just $1.90 more per hour than a new hire, and a current 18-year teacher earns $7,000 less than an 18-year teacher did in 2006.
Metropolitan School District of Pike Township released the following statement:
The current proposal provides for raises in the amount of $2,320,244, which is approximately $1,568,988 more in raises than the 2020-2021 bargained contract, thanks to the bill passed by the legislature which increased K-12 school funding. This amount acknowledges our enrollment data trends, current financial situation, and future budgetary constraints. It also maintains our current medical insurance plan, under which teachers only pay 3 cents per pay for a single plan, and the Board pays 72% per pay for employee +1 plan, and 75% of the premium per pay for a family plan.
Although we cannot address all of the issues caused by the prior practice of providing across the board percentage increases in a single year, this proposal would allow us to make significant gains toward that goal, while also maintaining a competitive package for new teachers, providing increases for our other valued staff members, adhering to our taxpayer-funded budget, and avoiding deficit financing.
The MSD of Pike Township will continue to negotiate in good faith with the Pike Classroom Teacher Association (PTCA) via sustainable proposals that allow us to adhere to our taxpayer-funded budget and adequately compensate our other employee groups without deficit financing.
A few hundred came out to stand and protest in the rain outside Thursday's meeting
"This shows you how fired up people, how fired up teachers are if they're going to come out in this kind of weather," said Chris Ludy, president of Pike Classroom Teachers Association. "We understand it's not our way or the highway, but them saying they have no more money, they can find it."
At the meeting, elementary teacher Michelle Strong broke down crying and said she had moved out of the district and was no longer "Pike proud."
"As a professional with many degrees, areas of experience and a leader within my school community, there's no excuse that I can't afford to live out the simple milestones of my life due to finances," said Strong.
Strong said she has delayed getting married or buying a house because she doesn't make enough from her Pike job.