Hourly Raises, Trip-Driving Pay Approved in Blackford County
From the Blackford County Schools Board meeting on October 27, 2026
Blackford County Schools' board unanimously approved a 2026-27 wage package October 27 that includes a 3.3% base raise for hourly jobs and a targeted increase for extracurricular-trip bus driving.
The 3.3% increase also applies to two salaried classified positions, the treasurer and maintenance director. Classified staff are the district's non-teaching employees.
Food-service personnel will receive a larger increase. The district's food-service fund has a healthy cash balance, and many of those employees work only 10 to 15 hours a week.
The package raises activity-trip driving pay by nearly $2 an hour as the district struggles to recruit drivers for extracurricular trips. Two drivers currently handle about 90% of that work.
Based on last year's trip volume, the superintendent estimated that the trip-driving increase would cost the district about $4,500. He presented the higher rate as a recruiting tool to get more drivers to take those assignments.
Source: YouTube transcript — Blackford County - Schools Board Meeting - October 27, 2026
Some information may be inaccurate due to video audio quality.
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