Tuesday, March 15th, 2016
Celina school board seals deal on teacher pact
By Claire Giesige
CELINA - School board members approved a new, three-year contract for teachers in a 3-2 vote, which led to celebrations for some and concerns for others.
After months of tense negotiations fraught with conflict, Bill Sell, Curt Shellabarger and Barb Vorhees voted Monday evening to approve the tentative agreement reached last week between the board and Celina Education Association negotiating teams. Matt Gilmore and Cindy Piper voted against the contract.
Teachers will receive a 3 percent increase to their base salaries for the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years and a 1 percent increase for the 2017-2018 school year.
The base salary will be $33,512 in 2015-2016, an increase from the 2014-2015 base salary of $32,536. It will be $34,517 in 2016-2017 and $34,863 in 2017-2018.
Step increases will resume this school year. Teachers have received only one step increase in the previous four years, CEA co-presidents Dave Scott and Mark Loughridge had said perviously. Frozen steps won't all be restored but teachers affected by the freeze will receive one step increase, essentially bumping them up two steps this year.
Approval was met with a standing ovation from the crowd of union members and supporters, this time wearing green instead of their usual red. However, board members Gilmore and Piper voiced their concerns and treasurer Mick Davis gave a grave statement prior to its passing.
The pay increase will lead to deficit spending, the three said.
"When we started on this process last fall, I did state that I could not accept any agreement that would drive this district into deficit spending," Gilmore said. "Unfortunately, this agreement does just that and will require a new money levy, a reduction plan, which may very well result in the layoff of some teachers, especially the new ones that we were looking to protect. I've heard this touted as a victory and I hope I'm wrong, I hope our numbers are wrong, but if it's a victory then I hope the cost isn't too high."
Piper agreed, adding she felt the deficit spending was hard to justify without having a plan to fund the increased salaries.
Davis warned the decision will lead to the district's dipping into $8.5 million cash reserve at the end of fiscal year 2015 and will require it "to seek additional revenues or extensively cut expenditures" in the long term.
"In my opinion, this is a bad deal financially for the district," he said. "The district faces additional financial pressure from increasing open-enrollment numbers and a crumbling capital environment. At some point the district must seek support from the community for funds to construct new buildings or substantially update the current buildings. An increase in operating funds will undermine this pursuit."
Davis does not expect any increases in district revenue in the near future.
"It would have benefited the district to find a smaller settlement amount for two years and look at the full impact of these increases to these particular areas," he said.
Davis later told the paper from 2010-2014, the district deficit spent about $5.6 million, which reduced the cash reserve from $12.5 million to $6.8 million. The reserve rebounded to $8.5 million in 2014-2015. Although revenue assumptions have not been analyzed for 2017, Davis estimated the district will be in the red $100,000, though he cautioned that may change.
"Any negative amount must be made up in some matter," he said. "Governments at a higher level can borrow. A school district's must come from cash in reserve."
Board president Sell said he feels the contract is sustainable.
"It is my hope and my belief that we can sustain this and that we will be able to fund the three-year contract. That's my belief," he said.
When pressed by Piper to say whether the deal would lead to deficit spending, Sell said he would prefer not to get into the matter but understood her concern. Seeking a levy to avoid deficit spending was discussed but no action was taken. Sell said after the meeting plans for a levy "were on the back burner."
New buildings were considered last summer by the previous board. Plans from Garmann Miller & Associates to renovate or replace the district's seven buildings ranged from $58.8 million to $77.2 million. The state had indicated it would fund nearly half of the project.
Gilmore said plans for the new buildings would likely be put on hold.
"The necessity to raise new money for wages is probably going to prohibit us from putting a levy on for building," he said.
Board members also,
• approved a $500 stipend for Marcia Helentjaris for writing a grant "Innovative Strategies for Developing College and Career Readiness of Students with Disabilities," to be paid for by Tri Star Career Compact.
• approved a Tri Star advisory to purchase three welders for a total of $17,912.
• approved the resignation of Kim Beckstedt, teacher assistant. Assistant superintendent Dean Giesige thanked Beckstedt for her 31 years of service.
• accepted a $620 donation from the Mercer County Civic Foundation for the Celina Intermediate School Glen Helen trip.
• approved Tru Green's bid of $6,845 per year for three years for fertilizer.
New teacher contract at a glance:
|
2014-2015 Celina Pay |
2015-2016 Celina Pay |
Other Mercer County Avg.* |
Other WBL Avg.* |
| Step 0 |
$32,536 |
$33,512 |
$34,629 |
$34,749 |
| Step 10 |
$47,503 |
$48,928 |
$48,360 |
$48,457 |
| Step 0 |
$36,766 |
$37,869 |
$38,244 |
$38,405 |
| Step 10 |
$53,360 |
$54,960 |
$54,631 |
$55,550 |
*2015-2016 salaries
