By a vote of 6-1 the superintendents of Porter County’s public schools, who make up the Porter County Education Services board, decided Tuesday to have their local district special education teachers and paraprofessionals brought within the fold of local district employment.

This restructuring will take effect in the 2023-24 school year when PCES will enter into a contract with member districts to take over employment of nearly 300 building-based educators. John Hunter, superintendent of Union Township School Corporation, was the lone dissenting vote.

“I am not ready to act on this resolution today,” he said. “I want to know what this is going to mean financially for our district. I think we need to meet and talk about the shared services.”

Aaron Case, superintendent of East Porter County School Corporation, clarified that the vote was only regarding building-based teachers and paraprofessionals.

“I do not disagree with Mr. Hunter that we have some discussions to have with what our shared services are,” Case said.

PCES board president and superintendent of Valparaiso Community Schools Jim McCall said moving forward with the resolution would facilitate more forward action for the group. This agreement does not affect employment of PCES staff working at the Special Education Learning Facility School or in a few limited building-based roles.

Danielle Zecevich, president of the PCES Teachers’ Union, said it’s very difficult for building-based special education teachers not only to answer to multiple masters in the case of building principals and PCES leadership, but also to live with pay disparity. She explained that a building-based special education teacher employed by PCES might make $10,000 less than her general education colleagues in the same building.

“Ten thousand dollars may not sound like a lot, but $10,000 a year really does add up to a huge amount,” she said. “It’s been something they’ve wanted for a long time.”

The board unanimously approved compensation recommendations for noncertified PCES staff and administrators for the 2022-23 school year. Paraprofessionals and noncertified interpreters not placed at SELF will receive supplemental pay of $3 an hour if they are currently earning $12 to $14 per hour, or supplemental pay of $2.40 per hour if they are currently earning over $14 an hour. These stipends will take effect Jan. 1, 2023.

All paraprofessionals and noncertified interpreters will receive a one-time stipend of $700, payable in two installments. There are some restrictions based upon hire date.

Perhaps those increases will assist in attracting new staff. Sandy Bodnar, executive director of the special education division of PCES, told the board four teachers and a speech pathologist were recently hired. She said PCES still needed to hire more aides.

Vanessa Moore, mother of an eighth grader at Washington Township Middle-High School receiving physical and occupational therapy, certainly thought it would help. “We’re kind of happy today with the para pay,” she said. “We were asking for that and hoping.”

Behavioral specialists, assistive technologists, student service coordinators, physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, CTE counselors, and case managers who work 185 days per year will see a base salary increase of $3,000 to $46,000 retroactive to the start of the current school year. A one-time $4,000 stipend will be paid out in two installments.

Speech and language assistants will see a base salary increase of $2,919 to $44,757, as well as a one-time stipend of $4,000 payable in two installments. School nurses employed for 185 days will receive a base salary increase of $3,000 and a one-time $4,000 stipend payable in two installments.

Certified educational interpreters working 180 days will receive a base salary increase of $2,919, and a $4,000 stipend payable in two installments. Other hourly classifications such as school secretaries, CTE ECA treasurer, district support/data analyst-CODA, finance office staff, and maintenance staff will receive a 5% hourly rate increase effective Jan. 1, and a one-time stipend of $2,000 payable in two installments.

Long term teacher substitutes without a teaching license will receive a rate increase to $110 per day if holding a bachelor’s degree, or $100 per day if holding an associates’ degree. This rate applies after 15 consecutive days worked as a substitute.

Finally, administrators will receive a base salary increase of 1% retroactive to July 1, 2022, and a one-time stipend of $4,900 for those with a 215 day contract, $5,000 stipend for those with a 220 day contract, and $5,200 stipend for those with a 260 day contract.

Shelley Jones is a freelance reporter.