Every other year, our school district negotiates a new two-year contract with our local teachers’ union (Cass Lake Education Association or CLEA). The new contract year began July 1, 2023 and extends to June 30, 2025. There are provisions in each contract that states that should an agreement not be reached by the start of the new contract, all terms and conditions of the existing contract are upheld. At CLBS, that includes awarding teachers step and lane advancement for additional years of experience (steps) and for earning credits towards master’s or doctoral degrees (lanes). The steps represent dollar increases each year for the first 14 years of a teacher’s work with the district; those increases range from $1,090 - $3,466 depending upon which step one moves to, and happens automatically.
Negotiations are typically resolved by this time of year. We did reach a tentative agreement with CLEA negotiators following day-long mediation on 1/31/24, when the district agreed to CLEA’s offer of salary and benefit increases made at the end of the day. The agreement would have resulted in $2,800 added to each cell on the salary schedule year 1, and a 3.5% increase year 2. Starting pay for a teacher with no experience would have been $50,574 Yr 1 and $52,344 year 2. Pay for teachers with a Master’s Degree + 20 on step 14 would have been paid $83,480 year 1 and $86,402 year 2. This is based on the 181 day contract that has been standard for this district.
The tentative agreement included a number of other areas including:
Increasing longevity payments for teachers who are at the top step (Step 14) ($2,400 year 1 and $2,500 year 2)
Adding additional longevity increments to further reward teachers who serve the district .Those with 20 years of service would receive $2,900 and $3,100; Those with 25 years or more with the district would receive $3,400 and $3,700.
Additional contributions from the district for teachers who participate in the 403B match program and the ability to access that contribution year 1 of hire
Increasing the additional stipend for teachers who sub for administration
Expanded uses of leave
Activities/coaches salary increases
No increase to health insurance. The district pays the full premium for a single plan for employees (currently a $10,253 cost) and $1,250/month towards family health care ($15,000 contribution)
CLEA membership voted to not accept the tentative agreement.
We agree with CLEA that teachers are highly trained professionals who should be paid commensurately. While we share this goal, as good stewards of taxpayer dollars, the school board is united in its commitment to the district’s mission to educate students within the means of its taxpayers and the district’s overall budget. The school board desires to provide compensation packages for all employee groups that are competitive, while at the same time, living within the district’s financial means.
District policy is to maintain a 25% fund balance -- meaning we have in reserve enough unassigned dollars to pay 25% of annual expenditures. That percentage was selected because 25% of the district’s revenue is from federal sources and CLBS School Boards over many years have worked diligently to build and maintain that fund balance. With the unpredictability of budget agreements at the federal level -- including government shutdowns that have occurred -- the district needs to be able to continue meeting its payroll and other expenditures in the event that happens. We have also experienced years where state funding has been delayed significantly, and as we look at state budget forecasts for the upcoming budget cycle and the prediction of deficits at the state, the district must continue to maintain the fund balance.
As a district, we have long held that small class sizes are important for our students' learning and growth. We have seen lately the number of districts in the last month or so that are making personnel cuts due to deficits in their budgets. CLBS has had the luxury of not having to make those types of reductions and our goal is to not join those ranks.
We will go back to the negotiations table with CLEA on May 8, to continue to bargain in good faith. Negotiations information is public and the district will continue to provide information to our community regarding the outcome. .