Geneva School Board Posts Most Recent Offer to GEA

Geneva School District 304 has posted its Nov. 8 offer to the Geneva Education Associations—and it includes step and lane movemenet as well as a multi-year salary boost for teachers who elect to retire in the 2014-15 school year.

It also calls for the establishment of a joint Salary Study Group to avoid another contract dispute three years from now.

You can read the full details of the offer here and on the Geneva School District 304 negotiations webpage.

Salary

Historically, teachers have been paid according to their placement on the teacher salary schedule. The salary schedule is organized around steps and lanes. Each step represents one year of employment in the District and a salary increase of 2.65%; a lane represents completed graduate coursework and salary increases vary by lane. Salaries increase as a teacher moves a step (down the salary schedule) and/or a lane (across the salary schedule).

2012/2013: Salary freeze for all teachers except:

• teachers who qualify for lane advancement based on completed graduate coursework will be permitted to move to the appropriate lane on salary schedule (36 teachers)
• teachers who have submitted a retirement notice over the past three years but prior to Aug. 15, 2012 (57 teachers)

2013/2014: 1.95% added to each cell on the salary schedule or .75 of a step; 1.5% added to each longevity cell (a teacher with 23+ years of experience); beginning teacher salary increases from $39,651 to $40,305; 8 additional teachers permitted unlimited lane movement; all other teachers who qualify for lane advancement may move one (1) lane.

2014/2015: 2.75% added to each cell on the salary schedule or one (1) step; 1.5% added to each longevity cell (a teacher with 23+ year of experience) beginning teacher salary increases $40,305 to $41,413; teachers who qualify for lane advancement may move one (1) lane

Letter of Understanding: The Board and Association agree to establish a joint Salary Study Group to address the question of future compensation of teachers.

Retirement

In the Agreement that expired in August, teachers who submitted a retirement notice were given a 6% salary increase over their previous year’s salary in the first year of their participation in the retirement program. Subsequent increases in the last three years of participation in the retirement program were tied to the average salary increase in the prior school year. End of service salary increases have been prevalent in many Illinois school districts.

Board Proposal – November 8, 2012:

• Plan A – ERO sunsets (ends) at the end of the 2012/2013 school year.
• Plan B – will sunset at the end of this contract in August 15, 2015.

An eligible teacher submitting a retirement notice by a predetermined date in the 2012/2013 school year and who intends to retire at the end of the 2014/2015 school year will receive the following salary increases:

• 2012/2013: 6% increase over their prior year’s salary
• 2013/2014: 3% increase over their prior year’s salary
• 2014/2015: increase based on the 2013/2014 average teacher salary increase

SOURCE: School District 304

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