School board approves

contracts with clerical

staff, custodians

By KREMENA TODOROVA

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- The District 88 Board of Education on Thursday approved two-year labor agreements with clerical and custodial staff.

The clerical employees' compensation package translates into a 4.54 percent increase in district costs for 2003-04, and a 3.45 percent increase in costs for 2004-05.

The custodial contract results in increases of respectively 4.14 and 3.69 percent.

Under the contracts, employees in both groups who do not move a step on the pay schedule will get 20 cents per hour more in 2003-04 and 40 cents per hour in 2004-05.

The increases are not added to the base salary, but are paid twice a year as a separate payment.

The new clerical contract increases the district's contribution to health insurance premiums to $315 per month in 2003-04 and $360 in 2004-05 for single coverage, and $550 in 2003-04 and $600 in 2004-05 for family coverage.

The respective numbers in the custodial contract are $295 and $350, and $570 and $615. They also represent increases in the district's contribution.

In addition, both contracts contain changes in provisions such as time off for union activities; placement on the step schedule of employees changing positions; (pro-rated) eligibility for benefits; personal leave; a mechanism of progressive discipline, and others.

District negotiator Susan Nierengarten noted in her report to the board that the two contracts are the final steps in a series of negotiations with employee groups.

She noted that the negotiators had "some difficult contracts to get done," and expressed her appreciation of the help provided by everyone involved.

The clerical contract issues were resolved as a result of six negotiating sessions, while the custodial contract issues took four negotiating and two mediation sessions to resolve.

The board still has to approve contracts with some non-unionized employees.

In other business, the board:

* awarded a $60,357 contract for exterior wall repairs to the lowest bidder, A.J.Spanjers Company. Business manager Donna Luhring noted that the contractor has previously done work for the district. She also cited references provided by the company. Other bids ranged from $74,800 to $92,305.

* approved two one-year leave-of-absence requests

* eliminated Bus Route 14, as part of its cost-cutting plan for next year. The elimination is expected to save $34,920, said Superintendent Harold Remme. He also noted that the change will increase ridership and times on routes 4, 8, 11 and 21, as a result of the redistribution of students. Times will remain within the one-hour limit set by the district.

* As part of its non-action agenda, the board heard a presentation by music teacher Ann Ayer.

Ayer, previously a full-time band director at Washington Elementary whose position in the past three years has been divided between elementary band and general music, voiced her concern about the future of the band program.

She urged the board to consider alotting more teaching time to band, to help retain students and sustain the viability of the program into higher grades.

Board members reiterated their position that music program cuts, along with other "reluctant" cuts, are driven by enrollment declines, and that they see no possibility of revisiting the issue at this time.