School Board Releases Details of Latest NFT Proposal

During , the union rejected the board's suggestion of modeling a new contract after Soudertown Area School District's contract.

The NFT also presented the school board with its eighth contract proposal. School Board President Ritchie Webb said that the administration estimates the total cost of the NFT proposal at $32,936,684.00, of which $21,414,105.66 is payable out of this year's budget.

In the proposal, Webb said that the NFT did modify its offer to include a 2014 salary increase of 3.25 percent.

"It's important to note that with our salary/level matrix, a 3.25 percent across-the-board increase equates to an average increase of approximately 7.2 percent over the previous 2013 NFT Proposal," Webb said.

The inclusion of 66.1 percent pay increase plus benefits in one contract, Webb stated, "demonstrates that the NFT has absolutely ZERO regard for our financial situation, and it proves that Louise Boyd, fueled on by all the top-tiered teachers of the NFT, has no desire to settle this contract with any meaningful concessions."

"Meaningful concessions from the current contract by the NFT will be absolutely necessary if they ever hope to have a new collective bargaining agreement again," Webb said.

Both sides are scheduled to meet in another negotiation session July 26.