Teachers’ union wants bigger raises

Published 2:47 pm Wednesday, December 21, 2005

In a recent School Board meeting teacher Stephanie Gray and teacher’s union president and teacher Sheryl Daniels appealed to the Board for teachers to get a better pay raise this fiscal year. Gray and Daniels reminded the Board that state and national mandates constantly increase, resulting in more demands placed on teachers and that teachers should be compensated for extra requirements.

Board Chairman Jerry Taylor told teachers they were appreciated and the Board appeals to the state on their behalf.

In an interview Daniels said teachers have been offered a 3 percent raise, which is only half of a percent increase from the 2.5 percent offered last year.

“The Board promised they would do much better this year, but they broke that promise,” she said.

Daniels said the state average for teacher raises is 7 percent and explained 3 percent will not even meet cost of living amounts. She said since she has been in the school system, teachers have gotten as much as 11 percent raises. She recalls it being almost a decade since teachers have gotten 5 percent.

Daniels said the FTE (student enrollment) count is up about 150 students, which generates revenue for the District. The FTE count is a key determining factor in how much the state appropriates for the District each year.

“The Board receives funds based on the number of students in the system,” Daniels said. “With the extra money this could bring a raise of at least 2 percent more than what was offered.”

Daniels said at the first negotiation meeting for this year, after teachers were offered an increase of 1.5 percent she went back to the school and worked until 9 p.m. in her classroom.

“I left people there at 9 o’clock,” she said. “Many teachers work well into the night; many of us work weekends.”

Daniels said she understands raises for teachers can’t be a priority all of the time, but they have not been priority in a long time.

“The budget money the Board is handed can be used for employees if they want to make them first choice,” she said. “We just want fair compensation for what we do.”

School Superintendent Walter Boatright said he doesn’t recall the Board making any promise to teachers for a better raise this year.

“This would not be a wise move, because we don’t know from one year to the next the amount of funds generated from the state,” he said, explaining the state gives the District an amount for operating costs from which teacher’s raises are negotiated.

School Board Personnel Director Dr. Bill Brothers said while the Board receives a certain amount for raises for instructional staff, some of those funds will go toward other things. Implementing class-size reduction mandates, budgeting for growing fuel costs and funding for the new elementary school are some of the areas funding is being placed.

Boatright said he didn’t know how much the District was given this year for operating costs and what percent of that amount would be left over after teacher’s raises were decided. Business Manager Richard Norris was out of town and unavailable for comment on the issue.

Boatright said despite the FTE count being up 150 students, many factors determine whether the District actually receives the full funds for student counts, and even if the District does receive the full amount it will be February until the money is received.

Brothers said negotiations are yet to take place to decide whether Board members will get a pay raise this year.

Boatright said he has declined receiving a pay raise until the issue is settled with the teacher’s raise negotiations.

“Teachers are historically underpaid for what they do,” Brothers said. “There’s no way we can compensate them for what they do, however I believe a 3 percent pay raise is fair in light of all the budgeting issues the Board is facing.”

The teacher’s union has declared an Impasse, which means they will not agree with the Board’s proposal. Another mediator will need to come in and handle the issue.