Teachers will get an average 2% increase under a new one-year contract introduced Monday by the Portage Township School Board.
The board is set to vote Thursday on the proposal.
Under terms of the contract, retroactive to July 1, salaries will range from $50,300 to $80,700.
Starting salary last year was $50,000.
The average increase per teacher is $1,250.
For midcareer teachers, that amounts to $11,600 more over the last three years — $5,350 last year, $5,000 the year before and $1,250 this year — which is more than 5% annually, according to board President Andy Maletta.
Among other changes, teachers won’t lose sick leave for absences resulting from assault or battery in the course of the teacher’s employment. The contract does require that police be called in those instances.
In addition, teachers who must write individualized education plans will be able to take paid time off to prepare them. IEPs are for specialized instruction for children identified as having a disability.
Although the board held a public hearing on the contract, no one spoke for or against it.
The board approved two-year contracts for custodial, food service and support staff, providing raises of 6% this year and 3.5% next year.
Employee contributions for health insurance increased, board attorney Ken Elwood said. “We were able to get some pretty decent raises” as a result, he said.
New this year was a provision for additional time off for victims of domestic violence or abuse. The time off can be used for seeking medical care or counseling, obtaining help from a domestic violence shelter or victim service organization, attending related legal proceedings, relocating to prevent further violence against themselves or their children, or to make alternative child care arrangements for their children’s safety.
A lactation room will be provided for employees to breastfeed or express milk.
An agreement with transportation workers is near, Elwood said, with just one sticking point now.
Athletic Director Brett St. Germain, hired just two days before school started, offered his observations after three months on the job.
He urged the board to hire a strength and conditioning coach who could keep athletes in shape by working with them during the school day, freeing up students’ time after school to participate in additional sports.
“We don’t see those multisport athletes anymore,” he said.
St. Germain said he hopes the district will be able to improve facilities in the future, saying it’s difficult to have soccer and football programs use the same field in the same season.
He also hopes the district will hire employees who would be able to serve as coaches, too. “There are so many advantages of having coaches that are in the building, interacting with the students,” he said.
Currently, 37% of the coaches are school district employees. “I would like to see that number get higher,” St. Germain said.
St. Germain also highlighted the average GPA for the high school’s various athletic teams, ranging from 2.71 for football to 3.73 for girls golf.
“Not only do they get it done on the racecourse, but they get it done in the classroom,” girls cross country coach Abby Trzeciak said. Her team’s average GPA was 3.67, second highest among the teams.
Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
