Substitute teacher pay going up for select groups
Brown County Schools will pay substitute teachers more if they choose to teach in an elementary school outside Nashville, or are retired teachers.
The pay increase was approved at the Feb. 7 school board meeting.
Superintendent Laura Hammack reported that the pay increases came about after the district did a “comprehensive review” of area school districts. Brown County Schools was “right in the mix,” but when compared to some of those districts, Brown County was paying substitutes less.
Brown County Schools is also having a difficult time recruiting subs due to the county’s low unemployment rate, she said.
Substitute teachers who are not licensed teachers will now earn $70 a day, or $50 for a half-day, at Helmsburg, Sprunica and Van Buren elementary schools, compared to $65 a day or $45 for a half-day at schools in Nashville.
Licensed substitute teachers would earn $75 a day or $55 for a half-day if they work in Nashville. That pay goes up $5 for working in the outlying elementary schools.
“Their school day is longer. We’re finding many subs were preferring to work at the on-campus schools likely, in part, because the day is a little bit shorter. We are hoping that with the increased rate of pay, we will entice folks to come to the outlying buildings,” Hammack said.
The board also approved another lane of pay for subs who are retired teachers, which is something the district realized they were lacking when studying other area school districts.
Retired teachers would earn $100 a day or $80 for a half-day if working at the elementary schools. They would earn $95 a day or $75 for a half-day if they subbed at any of the schools in Nashville.
“They understand Brown County Schools. They will understand Skyward, which is nearly impossible to understand if you’ve been here for 10 years. But they will understand all of the different systems we have in place that really help to run our school corporation. … We would genuinely love to have those educators back in the classroom,” Hammack said.
School board approves sale of land for Salt Creek Trail
On Feb. 7, the Brown County Schools Board of Trustees approved the sale of real estate interests at Eagle Park to the Indiana Department of Transportation so that a bridge can be built for the Salt Creek Trail.
Superintendent Laura Hammack reported that INDOT had reached an agreement with the school district regarding the installation of a bridge in the Salt Creek Trail planned to go on the edge of Eagle Park. The board voted to accept $161,000 for all real estate interests that INDOT needed for bridge construction, including land and easements.
INDOT had originally offered the school district $13,700 for easements and right-of-way on a little less than 3 acres on the northwest corner of Eagle Park spanning over to the Parkview area.
Hammack said in a follow-up email that the next step will be for the documents to be recorded, and once that is done, INDOT will begin work on placing the bridges.
One of the highway bridge sections also will link Eagle Park to the state park, but that is being installed on land owned by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. There is no settlement for the schools for the second bridge to be placed there, Hammack said.
Eagle Park houses the schools’ cross-country course, baseball and softball diamonds. The east bridge will connect the state park with Eagle Park, and the west bridge will connect Eagle Park with the Parkview Road area.
“This is the first step in a pretty long process. By your action this evening, we will be able to continue conversations with INDOT and DNR for moving forward with the Salt Creek Trail,” Hammack told the board. The board approved the sale unanimously.
Hammack said the district was in the process of working with the Indiana State Board of Accounts to figure out where that money will be received into the district’s budget.
