(KNZA)--The Hiawatha School Board has approved a negotiated agreement with teachers for the 2021-22 school year.

Approval of the agreement followed an executive session at their September 13 meeting.

The agreement calls for a 4 percent increase to the base pay for teachers. That will bring the salary for a beginning teacher to $42,640.

Following two hearings drawing no public comment, the Board approved the 2021-22 budget as published and a resolution to exceed the revenue neutral rate.

The budget calls for net expenditures of nearly $20 million and a .493 mill levy increase.

It calls for the school district to collect nearly $6.5 million in tax revenue.