The Collinsville School Board Thursday approved the contract they had previously negotiated with the teacher’s union.
The one-year contract, approved by the Collinsville Education Association on Aug. 21, calls for a 1 percent across the board raise, an additional personal day and a 9.4 percent cap on the district’s contributions to the Teacher Retirement System.
Illinois law requires teachers to contribute 9.4 percent to the TRS. Collinsville Unit 10 pays the teacher’s TRS contributions as part of their collective bargaining agreement. Speculation that Illinois pension reform may include a mandated increase to the contribution percentage made this a point of contention. If an increase becomes law in the next year, Collinsville teachers will have to pay the difference between 9.4 percent and new rate.
This will be the fourth consecutive year the teachers are working on a one-year contract.
Board Member Gary Kusmierczak, the lone board member to vote against the contract, said it did not make sense. “This is the third year in a row that we’re going to be deficit spending in the education fund,” Kusmierczak said.
The School Board approved tentative budget for 2013-2014 includes a shortfall of about $2.25 million in the Education Fund. The fund from which teacher salary and benefits are paid had a balance of $3.6 million on June 30, the end the district’s fiscal year.
The vote took place during a special meeting of the board.
Related stories:
http://metroindependent.com/2013/08/21/unit-10-teachers-approve-new-contract/908/
http://metroindependent.com/2013/08/22/tentative-budget-approved-by-school-boad/933/
