FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – The Fort Wayne Community School’s Board held a public hearing during their board meeting on Monday regarding the proposed 2024 budget.
The budget, Capital Projects Plan and School Bus Replacement Plan were introduced in September. The budget projects the Operations and Education Funds to increase by a combined 5%.
It also includes a $7.2 million dollar budget for safety and well-being initiatives to be used in 2024.
No one spoke at Monday’s public hearing. FWCS Superintendent Mark Daniel said he believes this to be a good sign.
“What we do on an annual basis, the way we are so fiscally responsible of the funds, I think our community understands that so they trust us,” Daniel said, “And again, it’s because we use those dollars very, very well. And we’ve gained the trust of our community.”
A tentative 2-year agreement between FWCS and the Fort Wayne Education Association was also presented at Monday’s meeting.
The proposed contract would be active from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2025 and would include the following:
- A salary range for all teachers of $46,627 to $78,690 in the 2023-24 school year and $47,093 to $79,156 in the 2024-25 school year.
- A salary schedule allowing increases on average of 3% in 2023-24 and 1% in 2024-25.
- Compensation for teachers covering additional classrooms to help manage a substitute teacher shortage.
- Increasing pay for event workers at varsity football games, high school cheerleading coaches and show choir directors.
- Adding boys’ volleyball and girls’ wrestling coaches and assistant coaches at the high school level and robotics coaches at any school with a robotics team.
You can find the full proposed Master Contract here.
Residents will be allowed to give public comment at the October 23rd FWCS School Board Meeting.
