Greene County teachers and the board of education agreed to a two-year contract, the first multi-year contract in many years. The board of education ratified the contract at its April 19 meeting.
The contract awards teachers a $225 increase on base pay the first year, an increase of 0.72 percent, and a $175 increase on base pay in the second year, an increase of .56 percent.
Accounting for changes in lanes and steps in the pay scale, cost to the district will be an increase of 1.68 percent for 2017-18. The cost to the district for 2018-19 will not be known until staffing is determined for that year.
The new contract is in line with changes to collective bargaining passed by the Iowa legislature this session. Items no longer allowed in contracts were removed (transfer procedures, evaluation procedures and supplemental pay, for example).
The contract calls for the creation of a committee composed of two board members, the superintendent and three teachers representing the Education Association. The committee will review items moved from the contract to the employee handbook including grievance procedures, sick leave, personal days and more. If all six members of the committee agree to change one of the listed items, it will be changed. If there is not unanimous agreement, an item may be changed at the discretion of the board.
The board approved $37,053 in technology projects using physical plant and equipment levy (PPEL) and sales tax funds this summer. The projects are all at the elementary school addition, with almost $15,000 being purchase and security of surveillance cameras. More than $17,000 is being spent at TechZone of Jefferson. The board in March approved $228,000 in summer PPEL/sales tax projects, including the purchase of three school buses.
The board okayed an agreement with Paton-Churdan to share a high school math teacher one hour a day. Greene County will pay Paton-Churdan 17.5 percent of the total cost of the teacher’s contract. It is anticipated the teacher will be at Greene County the last class period of the day.
The board also approved the sale by sealed bids of a network tower, three school buses, a van, and three cars.
Construction class instructor Chad Morman reported the student-built house on E. Wilcox Way is near completion. An open house is planned for May 23. The 1,280-square foot home has three bedrooms and one bathroom on the main floor, with the potential for two bedrooms and a bathroom in the now-unfinished basement. He anticipates a selling price of $170,000.
