Dist. 300 asks teachers union for budget help

Community Unit District 300 officials say they need to cut another $5 million to balance the district’s budget, and they’re looking to the teachers union to come up with $4 million of it.

If union members agree to a wage freeze and benefit changes, 363 teachers laid off in March would return to work, according to a district statement released Friday night. If not, middle and high school schedules would have to be reorganized and the school day would be shortened, officials said.

The school board and members of LEAD 300, the union representing more than 1,200 teachers in the district, have met nine times since March when the board approved layoffs due to a steep budget deficit. But so far, there’s been no agreement.

The district already has cut $3.3 million in programs and services from the 2011-12 budget. Last year the district cut a total of $9.3 million, including staff positions, services, supplies, salaries and benefits.

The district offered the union a proposal this week calling for a wage freeze and changes to the existing health insurance plans. Employees could choose a health savings account, or continue with their current PPO or HMO plans with higher deductibles and co-pays.

The union agreed to a wage freeze for most teachers, while proposing that a group of 30 to 40 teachers receive a 1.9 percent wage increase. Those teachers haven’t received raises in the last year or two because of their position on the salary schedule, LEAD 300 President Kolleen Hanetho said.

She argued that the raises, estimated to cost less than $90,000, would be covered by leaving unfilled positions open. The district hadn’t planned to fill those positions anyway, Hanetho said.

The district also has proposed that it have “flexibility to reorganize schools” and assign teachers who have been with the district for eight years or less to classrooms based on enrollment and programming needs.

“Without those changes, the district is significantly limited in its ability to establish a schedule that provides the best educational outcomes for students,” the statement read.

Hanetho said some 400 teachers would be eligible for reassignment under the plan. Instead, the union proposed the arrangement affect only 150 nontenured teachers.

“They could move people around at will. That is unacceptable,” Hanetho said. “Teachers become part of the community they’re in. I don’t want my sixth-grade teacher teaching kindergarten next year.”

Hanetho also said the union requested a reduction in class sizes in exchange for accepting a cut in teachers’ professional development funds.

Among items both sides have agreed to are that teachers and students both would have the same last day of school; elementary teachers would be given time during the school day to complete report cards; teachers would be given preference for coaching and extra-pay jobs; and a “collaborative council” composed of teachers, principals and central office administrators would be formed to improve communication.

Following the most recent bargaining session on Thursday, Hanetho said the two sides are only $83,000 apart.

District officials say they want to reach an agreement by June 1 so there’s enough time to create student schedules for the first day of school on Aug. 15. The next bargaining session is scheduled for Thursday, May 26.

The current teachers contract expires June 30.

Board President Anne Miller could not be reached for comment Friday night.