After months of back and forth discussions, the Jonathan Alder Education Association and board of education have reached a tentative contract agreement for teachers.
At a recent special meeting held by the school board, district officials voted unanimously to pass the offer, effectively ending a standstill that began last school year.
The special meeting came after additional discussions were had following the regular October board meeting, where several speakers criticized the board for its “last, best offer.”
That measure came for a vote but was taken off the agenda by board members following a lengthy executive session.
The board and the JAEA met again following that meeting and were able to come to a tentative agreement. The measure was voted on by the union on Oct. 25 and prompted the board to call a special meeting to vote for the measure itself.
The school board vote was the final piece of the puzzle and Board President Steve Votaw said he’s pleased to have come to an agreement and “have this issue resolved.”
“What was really good was that the union and the board would not only compromise but really get to a win-win,” he said. “There were a variety of points that there was some give and take on, but ultimately, we were able to resolve this.”
The new contract agreement keeps the structure of a 4%, 3% and 2% raise for this school year, next school year and the following year, respectively, but changes the way some of the step increases are handled.
In the previous offer, teachers complained that there were no step increases in pay for teachers at the end of their career. Votaw said the board changed the measure to consider those with 30 years in the district. He also said the numbers for teachers with a masters degree and 30 additional hours of course work increased in pay from 2.5% to 3%, which was not the full 5% wanted by the union.
The previous offer had the minimum salary for teachers with a bachelor’s degree set at $42,920 with a max step increase (step 25) to $70,904. Those with master’s degrees would range from $57,298 to $82,149 with a max salary of $86,385.
Cheryl Manbeck, president of the teachers union, provided a statement, saying the group is pleased with the results of the conversation, though there “is still work to be done.”
“Members of the Jonathan Alder Education Association were pleased the board was finally willing to return to the bargaining table to continue negotiating a contract. Changes were made to the package to benefit all bargaining unit members, regardless of their experience in the field of education,” Manbeck said in the statement. “No contract is ever perfect, and both sides realize there is still work to be done in the future. JAEA has grown stronger through this process and will continue to do so as we move forward together.”
Manbeck also said restrictions on when teachers can take personal leave were loosened after having been tightened in the board’s last offer.
“This recognizes the importance of family in teachers’ lives. While teachers should be able to take personal leave without any restriction, the board maintains some restrictions are necessary in order to provide sub coverage during their absence,” she said.
The board voted on the tentative agreement which would cover July 1 of this year and run through June of 2025.