INDIANAPOLIS — After weeks of negotiations and some teacher demonstrations, the Metropolitan School District of Pike Township board unanimously voted to ratify a master contract for teacher pay Thursday.
"Is it the best collective bargaining agreement in all of human history? No. Will it allow us to take the next step? Yes," Chris Ludy, president of the Pike Classroom Teachers Association, said before the vote.
The board members and audience clapped after the vote.
"These last three months has been my hardest, hardest time," one board member said. "I'm just grateful to get it behind us."
Another board member said he admires the passion, loyalty and commitment of teachers and staff to show how much they care about the district.
"With this contract, now we can build off of that," the member said.
A tentative agreement was reached last week, and Thursday's vote was the second hearing or meeting of the week. Bargaining for teacher contracts started Sept. 15 and the state's deadline was Nov. 15.
WRTV has followed this situation since late September.
Throughout this school year, the district has switched to e-learning days due to staffing disruptions.
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