BEMIDJI-Bemidji Area Schools board members approved Monday a new contract with the Bemidji Education Association, the school district's teachers union.
The two-year agreement calls for a restructured salary schedule for district teachers this school year, retroactive to July 1, and across-the-board 2 percent raises the next.
"The salary schedule for 2017-18 reflects a restructuring to address concerns that Bemidji's salary schedule is below market comparable school districts at the beginning and end of teachers' career with Bemidji," Jordan Hickman, the school district's human resources director, told board members.
This year's salary bumps range from an extra $600 per year to $1,400, depending on a given teacher's education and experience. Figures provided in an appendix of the contract put some raises, especially those for newer teachers, as high as 3.5 percent.
"We wanted to bump up our starting teacher salary because that was really low," said Jason Koester, the union's president. Staff compared starting teacher salaries at 10 similarly sized school districts in Greater Minnesota such Moorhead and Grand Rapids, he said. "Out of those 10 schools, our starting salary was dead last. So we're trying to bump that up to be more competitive."
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Hickman said Bemidji Area Schools had the second-highest salary for mid-career teachers and the fifth-highest salary for teachers near the end of their time there.
The new contract also bumps the district's insurance premium contributions next school year, but not this one, and revises its grievance procedure. The district and union also agreed to eliminate two health insurance plan options as well.
The "total package" compensation increase over both years is 4.19 percent, according to documents supplied at Monday's board meeting, which also indicate the district will pay for part of the pay raises with money that would otherwise go to some retirees' fringe benefits that Hickman said are being phased out.
And outside of the contract, district and union leaders agreed to put half of Bemidji Area Schools' revenue earmarked for staff development-a projected $349,000 of $698,000 total-back into the general fund this year and next.
