Frequently Asked Questions
What are the unresolved issues?
Why is it taking so long to negotiate a new contract?
Since June 2014, the Kinnikinnick Community Consolidated School District 131 Board of Education (Board) and the Kinnikinnick Education Association (KEA) have engaged in collective bargaining negotiations in an effort to reach an agreement on the terms for the parties’ successor contract. The parties’ current collective bargaining agreement expired on August 15, 2014. Classes for the current school year started August 20, 2014 and are ongoing.
The parties jointly agreed to participate in federal mediation on August 28, 2014, and while we have reached a tentative agreement on several contract terms, we remain apart on a number of items, including but not limited to salary, retirement and health benefits. .
Are the teachers going to strike?
The Board is working hard to negotiate a fair new contract with the KEA and hopes to avoid a strike.
What happens if the teachers go on strike?
If the Kinnikinnick Education Association declares a strike, Kinnikinnick District schools will be closed until a tentative agreement is reached on a new contract. .
Why is the existing contract unsustainable?
Despite the challenging financial situation, the Board’s salary proposal grants every teacher an increase in salary in each year of the proposed five (5) year agreement. See Exhibit A. Specifically, the Board’s proposal increases salaries by approximately 11.9% over the next five years. See Exhibit B.
The KEA has proposed to maintain the unsustainable automatic increases, which are approximately 4% per teacher per year. Click here to see the current salary schedule the KEA proposes to keep. In order to slow down the speed of the salary increases, the Board proposes to restructure the salary schedule, whereby the salary increase would not exceed 3% per teacher per year.
The Board and KEA agreed to resolve our last three-year contract utilizing freezes. Although, the financial climate and reduced school funding from the State and Federal government have not changed, the Board proposes to provide our teachers consistent raises and at the same time reduce the unsustainable automatic salary increases.
On average, how much would a Kinnikinnick School District teacher make under the Board’s proposal?
Board Proposed Kinnikinnick Teacher Salary Schedule Statistics:
What are the unresolved issues?
- Salary
- Lane advancement on salary schedule
- Differential Pay (Stipends for Extracurricular Activities)
- Insurance
- Post Retirement Bonus
- Staff Development
- Summer School
- Internal Substitute Pay
Why is it taking so long to negotiate a new contract?
Since June 2014, the Kinnikinnick Community Consolidated School District 131 Board of Education (Board) and the Kinnikinnick Education Association (KEA) have engaged in collective bargaining negotiations in an effort to reach an agreement on the terms for the parties’ successor contract. The parties’ current collective bargaining agreement expired on August 15, 2014. Classes for the current school year started August 20, 2014 and are ongoing.
The parties jointly agreed to participate in federal mediation on August 28, 2014, and while we have reached a tentative agreement on several contract terms, we remain apart on a number of items, including but not limited to salary, retirement and health benefits. .
Are the teachers going to strike?
The Board is working hard to negotiate a fair new contract with the KEA and hopes to avoid a strike.
What happens if the teachers go on strike?
If the Kinnikinnick Education Association declares a strike, Kinnikinnick District schools will be closed until a tentative agreement is reached on a new contract. .
Why is the existing contract unsustainable?
Despite the challenging financial situation, the Board’s salary proposal grants every teacher an increase in salary in each year of the proposed five (5) year agreement. See Exhibit A. Specifically, the Board’s proposal increases salaries by approximately 11.9% over the next five years. See Exhibit B.
The KEA has proposed to maintain the unsustainable automatic increases, which are approximately 4% per teacher per year. Click here to see the current salary schedule the KEA proposes to keep. In order to slow down the speed of the salary increases, the Board proposes to restructure the salary schedule, whereby the salary increase would not exceed 3% per teacher per year.
The Board and KEA agreed to resolve our last three-year contract utilizing freezes. Although, the financial climate and reduced school funding from the State and Federal government have not changed, the Board proposes to provide our teachers consistent raises and at the same time reduce the unsustainable automatic salary increases.
On average, how much would a Kinnikinnick School District teacher make under the Board’s proposal?
Board Proposed Kinnikinnick Teacher Salary Schedule Statistics:
Does the District pay for teacher benefits?
The Board offers its teachers term life, dental, hospitalization, and major medical benefits and pays 100% of the cost. The District currently pays the full $646 monthly premium for each teacher. However, over the course of the expired agreement, health insurance premiums increased by more than 14.5% or $92.08/employee/month.
Did the change in insurance in 2010 save the District money and if so how much?
The insurance change that the KEA references in their posted proposal allowed the District to move from a self funded model to a fully funded Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) plan. The move did save the District approximately $200,000 at the time. It was narrowly approved by the KEA despite only minimal changes to the benefit and no additional premium cost to the teachers.
How do teacher salary increases in the District compare to the rate of inflation?
The Board proposed salary schedule allows for the automatic salary increase not to exceed 3% each year of the 5-year agreement. This does not include salary increases for teachers who elect to take additional graduate credit; teach summer school; coach/sponsor an extracurricular activity; or plan for a post retirement bonus. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) has only risen 2.13 % per year on average over the past decade. In comparison, the KEA proposal provides an automatic 4% increase each year of the 5-year agreement.
Won’t a compensation change impact our ability to attract and retain quality teachers to our district?
The Board’s proposal will maintain an attractive base salary to attract teachers to the District and the Board believes offering consistent salary increases will retain quality teachers in our District.
What is the average class size in the District? 25 students.
Why does the District continue to eliminate teaching positions?
Since the 2009 school year, student enrollment in the District has decreased by 313 students.
Are teachers instructing additional curricular areas?
All teachers in the Kinnikinnick School District are instructing curricular areas in which they are highly qualified and licensed to teach. With declining student enrollment, the District must utilize all the licensed endorsements that the teachers have acquired through their education.
What does a freeze actually mean and can it still increase total salary costs?
A "hard" freeze is a true salary freeze. Each teacher earns the same exact salary as the prior year. Teachers agreed to two years of hard freezes in 2011-2012 and 2013-2014. The exception would be a teacher who resigns from extra duty assignments and earns less, or a teacher who agrees to an additional assignment and earns more.
A "soft" freeze means that at least one variable within the salary schedule is allowed to change which results in salary increases. There are a total of three variables that trigger salary increases in a teacher’s pay scale: the base salary, “step” movement and “lane” movement. If one or more of these variables is allowed to change, salaries increase.
In the 2012-2013 school year, teachers agreed to a “soft” freeze in which teachers received a salary increase for “step” movement and “lane” movement.
The KEA’s current proposal offers a "soft" freeze in the third and fourth year by not increasing the base salary. The “soft freeze" would still cost the District approximately $140,000-150,000 in each of those years since they are proposing that everyone take a step. This amount does not include the KEA’s proposal to give an optional 2% to those that can no longer take a “step” in the MA+40 lane.
A soft freeze as suggested by the KEA will result in 25-30 employees receiving no salary increase in each of those two years. For some of these same employees this proposal could mean the 5th hard freeze in 7 years.
Even though the contract no longer has tuition reimbursement, doesn’t the salary schedule pay teachers more for educational attainment? Yes.
Why does the KEA total cost summary on the BOE post and the KEA post differ so much?
The KEA's last written proposal to the Board showed a reduced dollar amount in the cost summary table as posted. However, the proposal prepared for the Board contained language stating, "All back pay will be retroactive.” This was not reflected on the KEA cost summary table, thus reducing the cost of the KEA’s proposal. The Board did not receive anything in writing removing that language, therefore the District added $295,000+ for the 2014-2015 school year to reflect retroactive pay.
The KEA’s cost proposal also excludes a detail regarding insurance premiums that adds to the difference in the two proposals. While the District currently pays 100% of the individual employee's premium, the KEA’s proposal to have this practice continue was not included in their cost summary.
The Board offers its teachers term life, dental, hospitalization, and major medical benefits and pays 100% of the cost. The District currently pays the full $646 monthly premium for each teacher. However, over the course of the expired agreement, health insurance premiums increased by more than 14.5% or $92.08/employee/month.
Did the change in insurance in 2010 save the District money and if so how much?
The insurance change that the KEA references in their posted proposal allowed the District to move from a self funded model to a fully funded Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) plan. The move did save the District approximately $200,000 at the time. It was narrowly approved by the KEA despite only minimal changes to the benefit and no additional premium cost to the teachers.
How do teacher salary increases in the District compare to the rate of inflation?
The Board proposed salary schedule allows for the automatic salary increase not to exceed 3% each year of the 5-year agreement. This does not include salary increases for teachers who elect to take additional graduate credit; teach summer school; coach/sponsor an extracurricular activity; or plan for a post retirement bonus. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) has only risen 2.13 % per year on average over the past decade. In comparison, the KEA proposal provides an automatic 4% increase each year of the 5-year agreement.
Won’t a compensation change impact our ability to attract and retain quality teachers to our district?
The Board’s proposal will maintain an attractive base salary to attract teachers to the District and the Board believes offering consistent salary increases will retain quality teachers in our District.
What is the average class size in the District? 25 students.
Why does the District continue to eliminate teaching positions?
Since the 2009 school year, student enrollment in the District has decreased by 313 students.
Are teachers instructing additional curricular areas?
All teachers in the Kinnikinnick School District are instructing curricular areas in which they are highly qualified and licensed to teach. With declining student enrollment, the District must utilize all the licensed endorsements that the teachers have acquired through their education.
What does a freeze actually mean and can it still increase total salary costs?
A "hard" freeze is a true salary freeze. Each teacher earns the same exact salary as the prior year. Teachers agreed to two years of hard freezes in 2011-2012 and 2013-2014. The exception would be a teacher who resigns from extra duty assignments and earns less, or a teacher who agrees to an additional assignment and earns more.
A "soft" freeze means that at least one variable within the salary schedule is allowed to change which results in salary increases. There are a total of three variables that trigger salary increases in a teacher’s pay scale: the base salary, “step” movement and “lane” movement. If one or more of these variables is allowed to change, salaries increase.
In the 2012-2013 school year, teachers agreed to a “soft” freeze in which teachers received a salary increase for “step” movement and “lane” movement.
The KEA’s current proposal offers a "soft" freeze in the third and fourth year by not increasing the base salary. The “soft freeze" would still cost the District approximately $140,000-150,000 in each of those years since they are proposing that everyone take a step. This amount does not include the KEA’s proposal to give an optional 2% to those that can no longer take a “step” in the MA+40 lane.
A soft freeze as suggested by the KEA will result in 25-30 employees receiving no salary increase in each of those two years. For some of these same employees this proposal could mean the 5th hard freeze in 7 years.
Even though the contract no longer has tuition reimbursement, doesn’t the salary schedule pay teachers more for educational attainment? Yes.
Why does the KEA total cost summary on the BOE post and the KEA post differ so much?
The KEA's last written proposal to the Board showed a reduced dollar amount in the cost summary table as posted. However, the proposal prepared for the Board contained language stating, "All back pay will be retroactive.” This was not reflected on the KEA cost summary table, thus reducing the cost of the KEA’s proposal. The Board did not receive anything in writing removing that language, therefore the District added $295,000+ for the 2014-2015 school year to reflect retroactive pay.
The KEA’s cost proposal also excludes a detail regarding insurance premiums that adds to the difference in the two proposals. While the District currently pays 100% of the individual employee's premium, the KEA’s proposal to have this practice continue was not included in their cost summary.