The Indianola School Board met in special session early Tuesday morning to sign the Master Teacher Contract recently negotiated by the board and the Indianola Education Association. The contract, which was approved unanimously by both the board and the IEA, retains 85-90% of the permissive language in previous contracts. Superintendent Art Sathoff tells KNIA News the negotiations were civil and productive, and thinks that at the end of the day everyone wants what is best for the district.

“I think it was an unusual year in that the bargaining laws are radically different. Even though the process is the same, even though the topics of discussion have changed, but we got where we needed to be. We are and will continue to be an employer of choice, we value our teachers and associates and all of our staff. We came to an agreement that gives the board a little bit of flexibility, and our teachers know that we value them.

The contract lasts for two years, expiring after the 2020-21 school year.