The members of the BEA had voted to accept the new contract offers on Wednesday, according to a statement released by Sup Dr. Stephen Malone immediately after the Thursday meeting.  BEA President Eric Austin declined to provide the vote totals on the proposals, stating that the union “has never released the numbers in the past.”

 

The first recommendation considered by the board was the 2013-15 agreement between the district and the union.  The measure also included the following recommendation:  “The superintendent is instructed to develop staff or other budget reductions associated with the BEA membership in the amount of $280,000 to balance the district budget.  This is to be provided in conjunction with the primary fiscal year 2016 budget presented to the school board next spring.”

 

Director Sheri Lumley read a prepared statement during the discussion of the measure in which she stated she could not support the new contracts because of the $280,000 in staff and program cuts that will be required to balance the district budget. She also stated the current unassigned fund balance is only one-fifth of the amount required by current policy, and that “Spending the fund balance is not an option,” she said.

 

She also said the board had been “vilified” by teachers and some community members for not approving the new contracts, even though the district voters had rejected a $200 per pupil levy question in 2009 and a $610 per pupil levy question in 2012.

 

Lumley also stated there are ongoing efforts by teachers and community members to close the Xcel Sherco plant in Becker, which would cripple the Becker schools and place them in the same situation  Iron Range schools experienced in the 1980’s when the mines closed in that area.

 

Board Negotiator Mark Swanson responded the fund balance is “trending in the right direction” at the present time, and Negotiator Bryan Olson said  the new contracts are “in the best interest of the district in the short- and long-term,” and he asked for the support of the board in approving the recommendations.

 

Chairman Aaron Jurek asked whether the $280,000 in cuts had been mentioned in the contract negotiations, and Olson said  it had been discussed.  Following the meeting, Austin commented he did not recall hearing that figure mentioned during the process.

 

In the vote, Jurek and Board Members Jason Kindred, Lori Molus (also a contract committee member), Swanson and Olson voted in favor of the 2013-15 contract and the budget reduction recommendation to the superintendent, with Lumley voting against.  The vote on the 2015-17 contract agreement was the same.

 

In the district press release, Malone stated:  “The agreement sets the salary for a beginning teacher at $36,821 for the 2013-14 school year and $38,599 for the 2016-17 school year.  Both contracts include step increases for experience and lane changes for additional education.  The school district will continue to pay the premium for single health insurance (capped at $700 per month for 2013-14 and increasing to $1,650 per month for 2016-17, which also is not expected to be reached within this contract).”

 

 

 

The board voted to unanimously approve the 2013-16 contract agreement with district office personnel at the Thursday meeting.  That agreement includes a 6.22 per cent total increase in salaries over the contract period, and includes elimination of personal days from the contract and removes the ability to convert sick days to vacation days.  The complete contract breakdown is available on the school board web site. 

 

Kindred, Swanson and Molus served as the contract negotiation committee for the board.