Schools

School Board Approves Teacher Contracts

The District 622 school board approved four teachers' and employee group contracts Tuesday night.

Teachers in School District 622 finally have a new contract.

The school board approved the Teacher's Association Master contract, Local 70 contract, paraprofessional contract and clerical contract Tuesday night. The contracts for teachers, paraprofesionals and clerical staff include a 1 perent increase to their salary schedules for the 2011-2012 school year, plus a 1.15 percent increase for the 2012-2013 school year. 

Teachers will receive a total package increase — which includes a modest increase to the school district's contribution to the employees' health insurance premiums — of 4.79 percent and paraprofessionals and clerical staff will recieve a total package increase of 4.47 percent. 

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Local 70 employees will recieve a 45-cent raise to their hourly rate for 2011-2012, plus a 50-cent raise for 2012-2013. This group includes custodians, maintenance workers, bus drivers and engineers. 

Teachers will still receive steps and lanes, which are pay increases teachers can receive based on their years of service and level of education.

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The contracts are within the budget, according to District 622 Human Resources Director Keith Gray.

Over two years the teachers' total package increase will cost the district $5.8 million. The school district's expenditures for the 2012-2013 year are $154.3 million. 

Teachers have been without a contract since June 30 of last year. District 622 teachers in the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale Education Association also  several weeks ago. 

NSPMOEA President Rory Sanders said school districts used to be required to reach contract agreements by Jan. 15 each year. If school districts didn't meet the deadline then they would be penalized. However, the 2011 Legislature removed the deadline.

The delay has not been well-received. Members of the teachers union have attended several board meetings and outside of the District Education Center.

Though the process dragged on later than usual, Sanders said he's happy the contract was approved before the next school year.

"Again, we would have loved to have gotten it done a lot sooner," Sanders said. "It's always hard to continue day-to-day operations with those kinds of clouds over your head." 


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