NCSD board approves 3.25 increase for teachers

Newton teachers will be getting a 3.25 percent raise for 2016-17.

The Newton Community School District’s Board of Education voted 6-0 at Monday’s regular meeting to approve the increase, which includes both wages and benefits. After meeting several times and going through an arbitration process, the vote was mostly a formality that needed to be done publicly.

Board member Andy Elbert abstained from voting, as his wife is a teacher in the district. The Newton Community Education Association — the teacher’s union — made an initial proposal of a 6.5 percent compensation at a public initial proposal session in March, while the district countered with 2 percent. The legislature approved a 2.25 percent increase in state aid this session for 2016-17.

About 99 percent of NCEA’s membership voted to ratify the contract.

“This is an increase of $603 to the generator base,” Business Director Gayle Isaac said. “That means any new teachers coming into the district will make that much more.”

Isaac also said the increase will add to NCSD’s expenses by more than $560,000 above what it’s spending in Fiscal Year 2016, even with administrators agreeing not to take a pay raise next year. The district spent nearly $20 million on payroll in FY 2015; the FY 2016 total won’t be known until June 30.

NCSD Superintendent Bob Callaghan said a meeting will be scheduled in the weeks ahead to meet with the district’s other union representatives for their contracts.

The other main item covered at Monday’s meeting was the awarding of a few bids for contract work at two district buildings.

The Berg Complex, which has been remodeled several times through the years and has become the focus of some ongoing maintenance issue and cost-efficiency strain, that has led to a bond issue for its replacement, requires some equipment replacements. The board unanimously approved a contract with Warnick & Reeves Mechanical of Newton to supply and install three new condenser units at a cost of about $48,000 and an automation system from Siemens for $37,000. Maintenance Supervisor Jack Suttek described both as “band-aid fixes,” thought the condensers are not built-in, and could be moved to another building later if the Berg Complex is torn down and replaced.

The other physical-plant item was to retroactively approve a contract with Warnick & Reeves to complete a storm drain at the E.J.H. Beard Administration building on First Avenue West for about $19,000. This was needed work to help the flat roof drain through three drain pipes and all the way to the street, with the 10-inch drain across the parking lot needing to be done before the upcoming repaving of the parking lot.

The board has a regular meeting scheduled for June 13. The meeting is tentatively planned to take place at Emerson Hough, but that could change if planned work on the HVAC system means the building would have no air conditioning on that night.

In other action Monday, the board:

• Recognized several winter and spring athletic and activities individual Newton High School honorees, ranging from state qualifiers in spring sports to DECA to all-state basketball.

• Held a lengthy discussion about the upcoming Sept. 13 Berg Complex bond vote, including deadlines for legal actions and a report from school board members who are also on the Bond Committee. As summer begins, bond committee members plan to make a higher-visibility push to promote a "yes" vote on the bond, to continue writing and reading letters to the editor regarding the bond, and to encourage voters to visit the committee's website, www.preservethepride.com.

• Heard from several district principals who read their students’ sentiments as part of School Board Recognition Month.

• Approved several club and team fundraisers.

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com