USD 235, teachers agree to new contracts

UNIONTOWN -- A three-year agreement between teachers and USD 235 was approved by both sides this summer.

The agreement for the 2006-07 school year between the district and about 45 local teachers and UTA members, which is the Uniontown chapter of the Kansas National Education Association, includes an increase of $1,000 in base teacher salaries each year, beginning this school year, district officials said. In the agreement, USD 235 teachers who earn advanced degrees and work in the district for at least 15 to 30 years could also enjoy benefits, USD 235 Superintendent Randy Rockhold said. The package offered by the district included slightly more than a 4-percent pay increase for teachers, he said.

Local teacher salaries are based on a tier system that pays those teachers based on the amount of education they have completed and their years of service to the district.

"We are giving the teachers $1,000 to the base each year," Rockhold said in a statement. "We added three steps to columns beyond masters, two steps to masters, and one step to each other column. This will result in $600 per year for each teacher that moves down the column. We will discuss non-salary issues (in the future) if they arise."

The agreement also includes a stipulation in which the district would receive payment for unused sick leave upon a teacher's retirement, death or disability, or if a reduction in the district's work force occurs. The teacher would receive $35 for each unused sick day, Rockhold said. The agreement also states that full-time teachers who retire early must notify the board by March 15 each year in order to receive a one-time payment of $6,000 in May. This incentive is paid to teachers as a reward for a teacher's dedicated service throughout his or her career, and has been in place in the district for three years, Rockhold said.