West Central School Corporation talks budget, possible pool renovations

One of the main topics of the meeting was the school's 2022 budget. Superintendent Dan Zylstra led the discussion, breaking down the terms and most relevant line items listed in the multiple page budget. Zylstra described one of the new state guidelines in regards to teacher's salaries that is "tying their hands." "As we are going into negotiation season, it's worth noting that the state is tying our hands for teachers' salaries. We need to be at $40,000 for a minimum teacher salary by next school year - the 2022-2023 school year," he said. "The other way they are tying our hands is that 45% of our tuition support has to go to teachers' salaries - not including benefits." The pool discussion had paused back in June after Zylstra informed the board that he had received a $12,000 pool bleacher quote, which included installation. Sharpe went on to explain that she had noticed that the condition of the pool and locker rooms has declined greatly and humidity in the actual pool area has increased significantly. The board and Zylstra reached a consensus that they wanted to ask the community their opinions on the matter and will gather additional information from architects before moving forward.