Osseo School Board Approves Teacher Agreement

After months of negotiations, a contract between the and district teachers nears final approval.

The school board approved an agreement with the teacher’s union at the Oct. 4 meeting. After the teacher union ratifies the agreement, the contract will be in effect from July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2013.

In addition to existing pay increases for education and performance (steps and lanes), Assistant Superintendent Rich Melvin said the agreement includes:

• A 1 percent increase for the 2011-2012 school year for teachers, which totals $937,234.

• One time stipend of $725 for teachers during the 2012-2013 school year, totaling $1.052 million and no salary schedule increase.

In all, the distrist estimates the agreement will cost about $2 milion over the next two years.

Several of the other changes to the two-year agreement, according to a memo to the school board (see attached PDF), include:

•  Revision of health insurance language to include the district's new "consumer driven plan" aimed at limiting growth of feature health insurance costs.

• Reduction of sick leave accrual from 12 days per year to 10 days per year, and capping sick leave balances at 100 days for teachers hired on or after July 1, 2007.

• Elimination of the option to convert sick leave into personal leave for teachers hired on or after July 1, 2007.

• The inclusion of an early retirement incentive for each of the two years.

Although the agreement was approved, school board members didn’t unanimously support it.

In a 4-2 vote, Chairperson Dean Henke and Director Teresa Lunt voted against the agreement.

“My hope is always a 6-0 vote,” Education Minnesota - Osseo President Jay Anderson said of the school board split on the agreement after Oct. 4 meeting. “It would have been nice to have an unanimous agreement, but I’m glad we came to an agreement. It’s one less stressor on the teachers.”

Henke said he wanted to see a larger reduction on capping sick days, different language regarding staff transfers and more of a redesign in the salary schedule and compensation.

“I’ve lived through two multimillion-dollar budget reductions in the last decade and I don’t want to relive those experiences anytime soon,” Lunt said. “My concern is the cost of the contract. Our state and national economy are struggling, state and federal funding are uncertain and we only received 60 cents on the dollar for state funding this year.”

Lunt asked what areas would be cut, in light of the district's projected budget shortfall of $5 million in 2014 and $19 million in 2015.

“The decisions we make have consequences,” she said, stating her position to vote against the agreement was “solely financial.” 

Directors Tammie Epley and Kim Green said they felt the agreement was a “good compromise.”

“For me, it's all about balance. It’s hard for me to approve this kind of an increase. I think the benefits … will pay off in a long run.” Director Jim Burgett said.