USD 257 Board of Education and Iola National Education Association representatives sat down Thursday night in the Iola High School library to attempt to reach a resolution to contract negotiations.
Team planning periods, perfect attendance policy and salaries were discussed.
With the help of Commissioner Robert Thompson from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the group talked through the possible elimination of team planning periods at Iola Middle School. The item had been brought up in the previous negotiation session by the BOE as a way to increase scheduling flexibility and continue to offer elective classes.
Mark Boyd, I-NEA representative, said IMS faculty have discussed team planning days but to date had not arrived at any satisfactory result.
Boyd also mentioned faculty worked on increasing scheduling flexibility. Due to the loss of teachers in the last several years, finding that flexibility was a concern for the I-NEA. Members agreed to form a committee to explore this further with more direct input from faculty.
Sick leave and personal leave was another issue that was touched upon. The group talked about how those two items affect the perfect attendance incentive policy. After some discussion, the word “paid” was added to the section of the negotiated agreement in question. This was done in order to close a possible loophole that would allow teachers to still qualify for the incentive by simply taking an unpaid personal day which wouldn’t count against their attendance.
The recently finished school year saw 21 percent of teachers qualify for perfect attendance with a payout overall of $13,800, up from $12,300 in 2010-2011. According to both sides, the policy would continue to function as intended. The new word would simply help to insure that the incentive was going to teachers who are actually meeting the idea behind the policy.
BEFORE DISCUSSING salaries, Brian Pekarek, superintendent of USD 257, reminded everyone of economic hardships currently falling upon the district as a result of the budget passed by the state legislature.
“The state Senate had originally said they wanted to do $80 million in funding,” Pekarek said. “The House of Representatives passed something less. They ended up with a compromise number of $40 million.”
That amount yielded USD 257 a final budget increase of $114,382 for the coming fiscal year.
Further complicating the issue of salary, was what any raise might look like when balanced against a possible loss in funds from school food programs if the district’s student population were to drop suddenly. Currently, at-risk or “free meal” children make up 52 percent of the district. If that number were to fall below 50 percent the district would lose $100,000 in funding. This could happen if neighboring school districts were to come into parts of Gas and LaHarpe to pick up students. Under the new 2.5 mile rule districts could do so.
At the end of the meeting both sides came up with a tentative agreement which would need to be ratified on salary. The agreement would see an increase in step movement and column movement on the salary schedule. Combined, the two would total $48,270.
Both sides are hopeful for a vote on the agreement by June 25 when the BOE will have its next meeting.
