CVSD board approves contract

The Central Valley School District Board of Directors approved a three-year contract Monday with the district’s teachers.

Members of the Central Valley Education Association ratified the contract June 10 with a 94 percent approval.

“We put the work into it, and it paid off,” said Lise Louer, an assistant superintendent for the district. “Everyone was open and clear about the issues up front. We’re very pleased.”

The new contract will cost the district about $1.5 million through 2008.

Some changes to the agreement include up two additional paid collaboration days per year by 2008 for teachers, tied to an anticipated increase in Initiative 728 funding, which mandates money to reduce class sizes. Students do not attend classes on those days.

Teachers with more than 20 years were also given additional stipends for experience, staggered over the next three years. Currently, a teacher with no additional training or credit hours reaches top scale in eight years. Teachers with additional credit hours or those who hold a master’s degree or doctorate reach top scale at 16 years.

Under the new contract, a teacher with 20 years of experience will receive an extra $500 annually. That amount increases to $600 in 2006. Teachers with 24 and 28 years of experience will get an increase of $600 in 2006, to $800 by 2008.

The district also agreed to an annual reimbursement for supplies, tuition or professional memberships of up to $250.

The contract agreement also raises the daily rate for substitute teachers, from about $86 a day to $88 a day this year, and to $90 a day at the end of the contract period in 2008.

Both parties were glad to have negotiations completed in record time this year. Negotiations can sometimes stretch through the summer into the fall.

“They put the issues on the table and had very open discussion,” said Superintendent Mike Pearson. “To have it done in June is wonderful.”