MARTINSVILLE — The Metropolitan School District of Martinsville school board plans to give itself a raise next month, the board announced at its meeting last Thursday.
The board had its first reading of “Policy 0144.1 — Compensation,” which would amend the district’s current policies with regard to board member pay in order to reflect changes made by the Indiana General Assembly during the last legislative session.
Currently, Martinsville school board members are paid a stipend of $2,000 a year, and are eligible to receive additional “per diem” payments, though the board has not taken such payments in several years.
New Indiana Code allows school boards throughout the state to compensate their members an annual amount “not to exceed” 10 percent of the lowest starting salary of a teacher employed by their districts.
The lowest starting salary for teachers in the MSD of Martinsville is $45,000, allowing the school board to pay its members a maximum of $4,500 a year. This would see board member compensation increase by 125 percent.
The Correspondent spoke with board vice president Luke Jackson on Monday about the upcoming policy change, as he was acting president in Heather Staggs’ absence at last week’s meeting.
Jackson said legally the board did not have to change its compensation policies in the wake of the legislative session, as the current $2,000 rate is compliant with Indiana Code. He said the board could pay itself anywhere from $0 to $4,500 and still be within the law.
“Most boards (throughout the state) are adopting the new stipend rules,” Jackson said. “In our situation, it is a raise.”
Mooresville’s school board also adopted the new stipend rules at its July 8 meeting, just a week after Indiana’s new laws passed during the legislative session went into effect. Mooresville’s board previously was paid an annual stipend of $2,000, and board members now receive 10 percent of the lowest starting teacher salary, or $4,750 — an increase of 137.5 percent.
Last Thursday, MSD board member Dan Conway downplayed the pay increase in remarks toward the end of the meeting.
“Everyone up here knows there’s a ton of time put into this,” Conway said. “That little adjustment to 10 percent of (laughter in the room) $45,000 is…you know, some people may think…We make $2,000 a year today, it’s gonna be $4,500. If you think that’s a lot, then we’ll have a conversation. My phone number is posted. Call anytime.”
“And we would do it for free,” board member Jacque Deckard said.
“And I would do it for free,” Conway concurred.
2026 budget
The board held a public hearing on the district’s 2026 budget, which it intends to adopt at the next board meeting.
District treasurer Whitney Kuszmaul delivered a presentation on the budget, explaining each of the district’s three money sources and how they could legally be used. The district’s budget is the sum of an Education fund ($33,642,467), Operations fund ($16,309,875) and Debt Service fund ($8,878,650).
The Education fund is state money used to pay teaching staff, though up to 15 percent of it has been transferred to the district’s Operations fund for several years to make up for budget shortfalls. The Operations fund comes from property taxes, and pays for things like custodial staff and bus fuel. The Debt Service fund is used for items such as long-term building projects.
The district’s total estimated budget for 2026 is $58,830,992.
Also planned for approval at the next board meeting are capital projects and bus replacement plans for 2026.
Six capital projects are advertised for next year. These include district building and ground improvements ($200,000), flooring improvements ($100,000), lighting improvements ($75,000), signage ($25,000), education equipment ($200,000), and security improvements ($100,000).
MSD plans to replace four buses in 2026, costing an estimated total of $648,462. Three of the four buses to be replaced are estimated to cost $171,583, while the fourth is expected to cost $133,713.
In other news
The district scheduled a groundbreaking ceremony for a new elementary school yesterday, after presstime. Construction started last month at the Centennial Road location, just south of River Valley Christian Church. The new school is the largest line item of a $95 million bond project and is part of a consolidation effort in the district: At least three, and potentially four, schools will close to make way for the new elementary school.
District superintendent Eric Bowlen has already said Centerton Elementary and Green Township Elementary will be two of the schools closing with any additional closings to be announced at a later date.
The next meeting of the MSD of Martinsville school board will take place Thursday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. at the Central Education Center, 389 East Jackson Street.
