Warsaw School Board Approves Contract with Teachers Union
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
During its meeting Monday, the Warsaw School Board approved the master contract agreement with the teachers union, contract renewals for administrators, and resolutions and agreements with Umbaugh Cash Advisory Services.
Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz told the board that during the course of the spring semester, the state approved new legislation regarding collective bargaining for teachers.
Hintz and Chief Financial Officer Kevin Scott worked with the Warsaw Community Education Association, and came up with a tentative agreement last week to extend the master contract for two years to June 30, 2013. State law prohibits any extension beyond that date.
Under the contract extension, Hintz said, the current levels of salaries remain intact. The agreement does allow the school corporation greater flexibility in staff reduction if necessary.
In the event of a layoff, according to Article 31 of the contract, “teachers in the specific positions being reduced or eliminated will be laid off in accordance with the following factors: teaching performance as evaluated by the adopted appraisal program, certification and length of service. If the certification and teaching performance are relatively equal, then length of service shall be the determining factor. No teacher shall be permitted to teach in an area where that teacher is not properly licensed to teach.”
The agreement also requires teachers to meet two hours per month of the school year to learn about and practice the concepts that are part of a “professional learning community.”
In June 2013, the contract will expire, Hintz said, and the only two items remaining for bargaining will be salaries and benefits, unless the law changes before then. “Much of the language currently in the contracts will go away,” Hintz said.
He said his recommendation to the board to approve the contract is a good one at this point. Many school corporations have been in positions where their hands have been tied, but Warsaw Community Schools has had greater flexibility.
Hintz said with changes in the law, school corporations must have state-approved teacher evaluation systems. The WCS administration will work with the teachers association for the best evaluation, he said.
The WCEA approved the master contract Monday by a vote of 220 to 1, according to WCEA President Terry Sims.
Deb Wiggins, school board president, added a caveat to the approval of the master contract that Hintz provide a monthly update to the school board on education legislation and its impact on negotiations.
Board member Matt Dick abstained from voting on the master contract because his wife is a teacher. However, it was approved by a vote of 4 to 0. Board members Jennifer Tandy and Kent Adams were absent.
Sims thanked all the board members for their efforts.
“Over 400 members were excited that we had this possibility,” Sims said.
He thanked Hintz and Scott for the extra time they spent on the contract. Sims said the WCEA is very anxious to cultivate a relationship with the board and superintendent and to see what happens in 2013.
“We are willing to do this because of the relationship we’ve had with you and the association,” said Dan Robinson, school board vice president.
WCS administrators are under contract from July 1 through June 30 each year for a specified number of working days. Monday, the board approved the renewal of administrative contracts that were set to expire Thursday. With the exception of Lee Snider, who was named Harrison Elementary School’s new principal last month and whose initial contract expires June 30, 2012, all administrative contracts were renewed for a year.
Hintz said the renewals are at the current levels of compensation and do not change the contracts in place.
Scott presented the board with resolutions authorizing the investment of public funds and an agreement for that investment with Umbaugh Cash Advisory Services. Warsaw Schools had a sweep account with a local bank, but the rate of return on those funds dwindled down to zero, Scott said. Seeking other financial opportunities, Scott suggested they use Umbaugh to help broaden their investment options to further improve investment returns.
Umbaugh provided cash advisory services for the four elementary school projects and helped WCS manage the $59 million for the projects. Scott said they can provide similar services with WCS’s investments.
Over a year’s time, Scott said, the school corporation could earn another approximate $100,000 working with Umbaugh, and Umbaugh’s fees would be about $7,000.
The program is just in Indiana and meets Indiana code. The intent, Scott said, is that they stay under the FDIC threshold.
“In terms of safety, liquidity, this is a great, great program,” Scott said.
