February 19, 2021 Sheldon, Iowa — The Sheldon Community School District and the Sheldon Education Association, the union representing the District’s teachers exchanged initial collective bargaining proposals earlier this week for the 2021-2022 school year. For the first time in recent memory, the initial proposal presented by the Sheldon Community School District included an increase that was higher than that requested in the union’s proposal. The Sheldon Education Association’s initial proposal calls for a monetary increase of 2.92% over the current contract, while the District’s proposal calls for a 3.68% increase in monetary compensation. Sheldon Community Schools Superintendent Cory Myer explained the situation from the District’s standpoint saying, “The initial offers are unique this year, in that the District’s initial offer is higher than the Sheldon Education Associations (SEA) initial offer. The School Board felt the SEA came in with a very fair and reasonable initial offer. In an effort to show appreciation for all of the extra time and effort put into educating our students during a pandemic, the school board chose to offer a one-time bonus to teachers. The District is in good financial position and believes offering this one-time bonus is an appropriate way to recognize teachers, while not adding a large reoccurring expense.”