Post Falls teachers, board reach deal

POST FALLS - The Post Falls School Board and Post Falls Education Association have reached an agreement for the 2014-15 school year that includes a 1 percent salary increase for teachers.

The agreement also restores the experience increment that's part of the teacher salary matrix and was frozen during the current school year.

"We greatly appreciate that the district and the PFEA continue to work together in a spirit of cooperation," said Donagene Turnbow, school board chairwoman.

The district has about 300 certified staff affected by the contract. The agreement came after three meetings between the district and teachers union.

"We believe that 1 percent is a step in the right direction," said Mark Mason, Post Falls Education Association lead negotiator and a Post Falls Middle School teacher. "Each of the district's 300-plus teachers will benefit from the increase and about two-thirds of currently employed teachers will benefit from the unfrozen experience step.

"As an association, we feel very grateful for the rapport we have with the district, and we feel it is ultimately the students who benefit from a positive working relationship."

The union's first proposal asked for a 2 percent salary increase.

For expenditures, the 1 percent salary increase equates to $180,000. Restoring the experience increment equates to $220,000.

Superintendent Jerry Keane said the state Legislature earlier appropriated money for a 1 percent salary increase for teachers, and that's the number the district and PFEA settled on.

"We were able to use a state appropriation increase to provide for these increases," he said.

Teachers can receive salary bumps through experience, education and general raises. The agreement for the current school year also included a 1 percent salary hike for all certified staff.

Maintaining or increasing salaries was the top request from an April budget workshop consisting of school staff, parents and others. Other leading priorities included adding elementary computer aides and a behavioral specialist.

The district will hold a public hearing on the budget on June 9 at Post Falls City Hall at 6 p.m.

Neither the district nor its employees will have any increases in insurance costs next year. Health insurance benefits will remain the same as the current plan.

The negotiated agreement also increases the number of professional leave days for the entire staff from 135 to 170.

District officials said there have been a few years in which contract negotiations spilled into the summer after school was out, but never into the fall.

"We are very happy to have reached an agreement before the end of school," Keane said. "It allows us to do a better job of finalizing the next year's budget. We have settled about this time the last few years. We are lucky to be able to discuss issues with such a professional and respectful group of educators."

Neither classified employees nor district administrators fall under the negotiated agreement between the PFEA and the district.

"No decisions have been made for either classified or administrative staff regarding salaries," Keane said. "However, it has always been the district philosophy to treat all groups in a similar fashion."

Contract negotiations between school boards, administrators and teacher unions in the Coeur d'Alene and Lakeland school districts are ongoing.

The 2014-15 fiscal year begins July 1. Districts are required to have balanced budgets in place by the end of June even if contract-related budget items are still pending.