Negotiating the teacher contract will be particularly challenging this year, Greene County school superintendent Tim Christensen told the Greene County board of education at its regular meeting Jan. 8.
The reorganization of the Jefferson-Scranton and East Greene districts becomes effective July 1. Until then, the teachers remain employees of the separate districts, with a significant difference in their pay scales. As part of the reorganization, the districts agreed to use the Jefferson-Scranton master contract. That means raises for the 26 teachers who hold East Greene contracts, with the total additional cost of $65,000. At the same time, teachers moving upward on the “steps” of the contract will add another $65,000 to the total teacher salary. “We’re at 130,000 additional dollars before we even begin negotiations,” Christensen said.
To add to the challenge, implementation of the Affordable Care Act with a per employee fee will cost the Greene County district between $35,000 and $40,000, according to Christensen.
Christensen also said he expects a decrease in state money to the district due to declining enrollment. The state incentive money that was talked about a year ago leading up to the reorganization vote was already in place under the whole grade sharing agreement, so that $132,000 or so is already part of the budget, not additional money.
An unknown part of the budget picture is the district’s application for a Teacher Leadership grant. The grant could bring more than $400,000 in state funds to the district, but it would require additional staff as teachers are taken out of the classrooms to coach other teachers.
“Everything is probably on the table, as we look at it. I don’t want to make any reductions, but I think realistically that’s something we need to have conversations about,” Christensen said.
Board president Sam Harding said early negotiations with the Greene County Education Association will start with issues other than salary. He pointed out that the insurance benefits in the separate districts are different, and agreement will need to be reached there regardless of salary.
Board members are in a position they haven’t been in recent years. The J-S contract specifies that any reduction in force notices (lay-off, or “pink” slips), be made by March 31, with state funding unknown until April. “You don’t want to have to do anything, but if you have to RIF, you have to do it before you know anything,” Christensen said.
