By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays USD 489 school board is set to vote on a contract with teachers as well as pay for classified staff and administrators at its meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Rockwell Administration Center.
The teachers and board reached impasse, met with a mediator on Nov. 8 and were able to come to an agreement. Teachers voted on the contract on Nov. 14.
The contract will add $1,250 to the teacher base pay and a one-time $200 bonus toward district insurance for certified staff. The teachers were also offered horizontal and vertical movement on their pay scale.
The raise amounts to about an 3.7 percent increase in pay for teachers.
The classified and administrative staff were given a 4.6 percent pay increase in error in June without board approve. The board voted Nov. 1 to step that raise, but did not require those who had receive the raise to pay back any of the funds paid in error.
The board members said in the past, pay increases for administrators and classified staff had been equal to those for teachers. However, legally the teachers can’t negotiate for those groups.
The district had budgeted a 4.6 percent pay increase for all staff. Board President Mandy Fox asked the administration to provide a financial review of how the teachers’ contract would affect the budget.
The teachers’ contract freed up $115,000 from the 2018-19 budget by paying $1,250 on the base for teachers instead of $1,665. $15,000 would be freed up from the 2018-19 budget by paying 3.7 percent as an increase for administrators instead of 4.6 percent.
There is a $20,000 total difference in pay for the classified staff when comparing a 4.6 percent raise to a 3.7 percent raise. Eighteen of the 141 staff (around 12 percent) work less than 30 hours.
Fox also requested an analysis of how classified staff pay compares to pay for similar positions in the community. The pay was compared for starting hourly wage.
Those positions that stood out as being much lower than comparable positions were administrative assistants and IT staff.
Principal’s secretaries and administrative assistants for USD 489 are being paid $11.42 to $12.18, but those in Ellis County are being paid $13.74 to $16.43. IT certified technicians for USD 489 are being paid $10.95 per hour, but their counterparts are being paid $18.70 plus benefits. Network/server certified technicians for USD 489 are paid $12.95 per hour compared to $17.91 per hour plus benefits.
No recommendations were included in the board packet on changes to classified pay.
Oak Park Plaza project
The protest period for the financing for the renovation of the Oak Park Medical Plaza ends Sunday, Nov. 25.
On Monday, the school board will vote on the final financing for the project as well as the purchase contracts.
The complex will be renovated for the Early Childhood Connections program.
The district preliminarily approved $2 million in financing for the purchase of the building on Oct. 15. The district will pay back the lease-purchase agreement $216,000 per year for 10 years.
The district has received a $1.47 million federal grant for the renovation of the property.
ECC expansion
The board will hear from Donna Hudson-Hamilton, ECC director, about a grant that would allow the district to expand its full-time Head Start slots. The $324,000 grant would also require the hiring of an additional teacher and two additional teacher assistants.
Slots that are currently half-day slots would be converted to full-day slots. The slots would be opened for enrollment in spring for the fall 2019 semester.
Superintendent search
The Hays USD 489 school board is set to vote on a firm to help it conduct a search for a new superintendent.
Superintendent John Thissen gave his letter of resignation to the board on Oct. 19. He will finish out his current contract, which runs through June 30.
Thissen cited personal reasons for his resignation.
The district has bids from three entities to aid in the search: Kansas Association for School Boards, $5,850; McPherson and Jacobson, $4,850; Ray and Associates, $24,250. Ray and Associates specializes in multi-state searches.
The board has worked with KASB on previous searches.
In other business, the board will hear a report from special education director Chris Hipp.