District 300 opts for stability with teachers

Community Unit District 300 has extended its teacher's contract another year, providing a measure of stability as the district works to cut $6.4 million from its budget next year.

The board's unanimous vote this week extends the contract, originally scheduled to expire at the end of this school year, until June 30, 2011.

Board President Joe Stevens said the move saves the district time, energy and money that would have been spent on bargaining a new contract.

"I think it's huge," Stevens said of the impact the move would have on next year's budget. "What we're looking for right now is some stability and predictability."

Teacher's union President Kolleen Hanetho said it would have been difficult to negotiate a new contract when neither side knows how much the state will cut funding to the district next year. The district's most dire forecast predicts the state will fail to pay the district as much as $24 million next year.

"It's not possible to discuss anything right now," Hanetho said. "We need to focus on the $6.4 million we need to cut."

District and union leaders are currently in discussions about proposed reductions for the 2010-11 school year, including limiting raises for teachers who earn degrees and credit hours, reducing reimbursement for professional development, limiting stipends and eliminating music and physical education for kindergartners.

Under the contract extension, many teachers will still get salary bumps next year according to the salary schedule for the 2009-10 school year. Stevens said the district has reckoned the average increase at 1.6 percent.

The board president said the district is not looking at a similar contract extension with the union that represents custodians and secretaries, whose deal is also up at the end of this year.

Besides reductions in custodial staff proposed as part of the $6.4 million package, "there are a number of issues (union members) are concerned with that we're trying to negotiate through," Stevens said.

A third group of employees the district is addressing is administrators. Because administrators are not union members, proposed reductions to their ranks or compensation do not require collective bargaining.

District officials have proposed furlough days for administrators, with more furlough days for administrators making higher salaries, Stevens said, adding that the furloughs would amount to a 3- to 5-percent pay cut for affected employees.

The board is set to vote on the package of cuts on Feb. 22. Employees will learn if they will lose their jobs on March 8, according to the district.