The new Greene County Education Association and the Greene County school board last week ratified a contract for the 2014-15 school year. Total increase in cost to the school district is 3.86 percent.
The base teacher salary on which all teacher compensation is based increased from $28,591 to $30,225, or 5.7 percent. Teachers also receive a state-funded teacher salary supplement (TSS) in addition to the local salary based on their placement on the salary schedule. The estimated TSS is $5,574 for next year.
“For bringing two contracts together, it went very well,” superintendent Tim Christensen said.
He set the stage in January for the negotiations, noting that moving the 26 teachers with East Greene contracts to the Jefferson-Scranton pay scale would add $65,000, and that teachers moving up steps on the salary schedule would add another $65,000. Although East Greene salaries were lower, those teachers had individual dental and vision insurance as a benefit, something J-S teachers did not have. Christensen said that reduction in force (lay-offs) might be necessary to align the budget.
In negotiating the Greene County contract, teachers agreed to move from a $500 deductible on the employer-provided individual health insurance to $1,000. All teachers will have available as a benefit individual dental and vision insurance.
The only change in language in the contract is regarding implementation of the state Teacher Leadership and Compensation program. Teachers who leave their classrooms for leadership positions will be able to return to their same teaching assignment within two years. After two years in leadership, they will be guaranteed a classroom position should they desire, but it may not be the same grade level they left. Also, as teachers move to and from classrooms, the prescribed method of posting a “vacant” classroom assignment will not apply. The district will fill the position with the best candidate available.
“It went pretty good, actually,” board president Sam Harding said about the negotiations.
