Brandon Twp.- School district officials have settled contracts with three employee groups and have reached tentative agreements with two more.
The school board approved at their Aug. 17 meeting ratification of contracts with transportation, food service, and administrators in the district. Additionally, Superintendent Matt Outlaw said Tuesday the district appears to have tentative agreements with the clerical group, as well as the Brandon Education Association, representing teachers.
‘We are waiting for final approval of the tentative agreement from the teachers union, but we have a verbal agreement,? said Outlaw. ‘The tentative agreement has all kinds of good stuff. The financial part is complex, but teachers will either get a step increase or a 1 percent pay increase… We had to get creative and this was a way for us to get a step to our people and keep it within budget parameters.?
The district has lost more than 800 students since 2006, resulting in a shrinking fund balance, as well as numerous cuts, including a 7.5 percent decrease to teacher salaries, implemented in 2013. That wage cut enabled officials to balance the budget in 2014-15 for the first time in years, with a fund balance of just over 8 percent. ‘For the teachers, it’s hard to make up for a 7.5 percent loss, but this is a step in a positive direction,? said Outlaw. ‘We understand the pain that came with the 7.5 percent reduction. We worked very hard to put money on the table and give teachers and all of our staff members something.?
Andrea Ferguson, BEA president, declined to comment pending review and signing of the tentative agreement by the BEA bargaining team.
Besides the proposed increases for the teachers, district officials have offered a 2 percent wage increase in a tentative agreement to the clerical group. Ratified contracts with transportation and food services also feature 2 percent wage increases and a ratified contract with administrators that features a 1-percent off-schedule payment each year or a salary step increase.
All of the contracts are in effect until 2017. There are no changes to healthcare or retirement benefits.
‘We’re pretty happy,? said Pat Pierce, union steward for Teamsters Local 214, representing bus drivers in the district. ‘Our settlement includes both bus drivers and mechanics. I think the district is being very fair. The last five years have been tough. Back in 2010, we gave up 1.25 percent in wages, now we have gotten that back, plus a little.?
She adds that the district also added a paid snow day for bus drivers, who will now receive pay for three snow days per year if needed. If the district should have less than three snow days, the drivers will be able to take it at a later date as a paid day off.
With fewer students in the district, there are less kids on the bus and some routes have been absorbed. This is all part of the ‘right-sizing? of the district often talked about by Outlaw.
‘The district was committed to making tough decisions related to budget throughout the 2014-15 school year,? he said. ‘We made many right-sizing adjustments including the elimination of positions, consolidation of duties, modifications to programs with an emphasis on efficiency, and better use of grant money. By tightening our belt and using our resources wisely, we were able to make this investment in our future.?
Executive Director of Business Services Jan Meek said the wage increases will cost the district about $700,000 over the course of the 2-year contract. The district has a projected operating surplus of $474,000 for the 2015-16 school year that will be used to pay for the wage increases and maintain a balanced budget.