Sean C. Morgan
The District 55 School Board and Sweet Home Education, which represents teachers, are scheduled to ratify a contract settlement this week.
The union met Tuesday to vote on the contract. Votes will be tallied by Thursday. The School Board is set to meet 7:30 p.m. on Friday to consider and ratify the contract.
Bargaining teams completed a tentative agreement on March 8 following the regular school board meeting. The teams completed the agreement without a mediator, who had been working with the bargaining teams.
Negotiations cover the 2003-04 and 2004-05 school years. They started in early 2003.
Among the terms of the contract are the following:
— A step increase for 2003-04 for teachers who are eligible.
— A step increase in 2004-05 for teachers who are eligible.
— A 1.25 percent increase to the salary schedule in 2004-05.
— A contracted work year of 190 days for 2003-04 instead of 192 days following a memorandum of understanding between the bargaining teams reflecting the two snow days that were not made up.
— An increase in the insurance cap from $485 to $500. The insurance cap is the amount the district pays for employee health benefits. The employee pays the remainder of the monthly rate. The new cap takes effect the month after the contract is ratified and runs through the end of September when the cap increases to $550 per month for 2004-05.
In both years, the teachers can apply savings from teachers opting out of the insurance program, after the first five, to their own rates.
— Employees hired by the district on or before July 1, 1998 will be able to choose between two options for retirement. They may remain in the current early retirement program, which provides a frozen $445 stipend for up to seven years. They may participate in a tax deferred retirement program, with the district paying $25 or $50 a month into the retirement account based on years of service to the district.
The district is attempting to eliminate its early retirement program in an effort to save money. The new plan is supposed to provide even greater returns at less cost to the district in the long term.
Employees hired between July 1, 1998 and June 30, 1999 may choose to remain in the current early retirement plan based on a calculation pro-rated based on years of service to the district. They may also enter the tax deferred retirement program.
Employees hired on or after July 1, 1999 are eligible only for the deferred tax retirement program.
— Agreements on job sharing, pay dates and evaluations.
— Sick leave may be used for family members.
— Prep time will remain unchanged through the July 2005, but committees will study and make recommendations for changes for consideration in 2005. Elementary teachers will have eight early release days per year in 2003-04 and 2004-05. The administration may offer in-service training on those days with teachers having the choice whether to attend or work in their rooms.
— Only two teachers per building will participate on site councils.