Cliff Buchan
News EditorThe 16 members of the Forest Lake Principalís Association now own a new two-year contract that will provide a 7.1 percent hike in salary and fringe benefits.
The contract, covering the 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 school years, was ratified by the ISD 831 School Thursday, Aug. 5 following earlier ratification by the principalís union.
The ratification followed a 20-minute closed meeting requested by board member Keith Dunham to review the package.
The board last week also approved a structural balance resolution that stipulates the settlement will not cause structural imbalance in the districtís budget during the period of the collective bargaining agreement.
While the structural balance resolution was ratified behind a 7-0 vote, board member Keith Dunham dissented on the 6-1 ratification vote for the contract. In an interview, Dunham said he had questions regarding language items that he felt deserved more review.
The 16 principals will receive a salary schedule improvement of 2.6 percent in 2003-2004 and a pay hike of 3.8 percent in 2004-2005. Insurance benefits will increase by 0.7 percent in 2003-2004 but are frozen in the second year of the contract.
The building administrators have been working on a continuing contract basis since the expiration of the old contract on June 30, 2003.
For the final year of the old contract, the total cost for salary and benefits was $1,717,507, according to the structural balance report.
In the first year of the new contract, the district cost obligation increases to $1,774,892. In the second year of the pact, 2004-2005, the cost total increases to $1,842,972.
What it means
Under the contract approved last week, most of the principal positions are approaching the $100,000 salary threshold and one position has surpassed that figure.
Under the salary appendix, the high school principal will receive salary of $102,496 in the first year and $106,545 in the second year.
The two junior high school head principals will be paid $95,592 and $99,368 in the two respective school years. The principalís post at the Area Learning Center will earn salary of $93,866 and $97, 574 in each year of the agreement.
The districtís seven elementary school principals will earn a salary of $90,415 in 2003-2004 and $93,986 in 2004-2005.
The senior high school assistant principals will be paid $88,688 in the first year and $92,191 in the second year. Junior high school assistant principals draw a salary of $85,236 in the first year of the contract and $88,603 in the second year.
The senior high school activities director is also covered under the FLPAís agreement. The director will receive a salary of $88,603 in the 2004-2005 school year. The current school year marks the first for the director to be included in FLPA bargaining.
For the 2002-2003 school year, the activities director was paid $68,224, according to Lynn Steenblock, superintendent. The school board in September will be asked to consider an adjustment in salary for the director covering the 2003-2004 year.
In addition to the base salary for the principals and the high school activities director, each employee will be eligible to receive additional pay for performance not to exceed $3000 based on the evaluation of the superintendent or a designee.
Other benefits include 12 paid holidays and 25 days of paid vacation during the 12-month assignment that includes 223 duty days. Principals in the first year of service will receive 20 vacation days while those in the second and third years of service are provided 23 and 25 days of paid vacation, respectively.
Members of the FLPA also earn 18 days of sick leave for each year of service. Unused sick leave days may accumulate to a maximum of 320 days of sick leave. Any principals with at least 15 years of service in the district and 55 years of age will be eligible for an unused sick leave account for medical reimbursement.
At separation of service, any sick leave days over 205 will be computed for the sick leave account for medical reimbursement at a value of $112 for each day. The district will use the dollars to pay insurance premiums until the unused sick leave account is depleted.
The employee group is also eligible to participate in a 403B plan.
Following a trend from this yearís settlement with teachers, employees with military duties will receive new benefits.
Under a new contract article, the district may pay to each eligible member of the United States armed forces an amount equal to the difference between the memberís basic active duty military salary and the base salary the member would be paid as an active employee of the district, including any adjustments the member would have received if not on leave of absence.
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