On Nov. 28, 2023, the Monroe County Community School Corporation Board of School Trustees approved a teachers’ collective bargaining agreement with the Monroe County Education Association. The agreement, which also includes the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, was made effective Jan. 1. Benefits added this year relate to parental leave, disability insurance, a lactation agreement and a salary grid adjustment. Notably, it is the first time that the School Corporation will be offering paid parental leave, providing up to eight days for new parents. The collective agreement puts lactation provisions in the contract and outlines available paid break time and private space for breastfeeding. Changes have also been made to the sickness leave policy, which will eventually be replaced by short-term disability insurance. The salary increases were put into effect owing to the 2022 MCCSC referendum, leading to an across-the-board rise of $4,500. The increases will be applied retroactively to the 2023-2024 contractual year, providing teachers two lump sum payments of $2,150 each. The collective bargaining agreement, which took about a month and a half to negotiate, is a two-year contract that provides stability and foresight to employees. It incorporates salary, wages and related benefits. The agreement satisfies most of the MCEA’s salary and benefit goals, although restrictions under Indiana Code 20-29-6 limit further bargaining on other issues.