South-Western City School District: Board approves three-year teachers contract
The South-Western City School District Board of Education ratified a three-year collective bargaining agreement May 23 with the South-Western Education Association.
The contract takes effect July 1 and runs through June 30, 2025. It will give SWEA members a 3% increase in base pay the first two years and a 2.8% increase in the third year, district Treasurer Hugh Garside said.
The contract includes no changes in employee benefits and no changes in step increases for increasing years of service, he said.
A district news release said the contract covers about 1,600 certificated staff members, including teachers, guidance counselors, nurses, psychologists and tutors.
“Teachers and other certified staff members within SWEA represent an integral instructional asset to our students and families each day in the district,” board President Cathy Johnson said in the release.
“As a former teacher, I know well the great lengths these dedicated educators go to in school and beyond – in parent-teacher conferences, summer preparations and grading students’ work well into most evenings," Johnson said. "We are incredibly fortunate to have some of the most highly sought-after educators in the state within our ranks helping children reach new heights each day, and this new agreement represents our commitment to helping them succeed."
Both Garside and SWEA President Carol Cross said the contract negotiations went smoothly.
"This negotiations process, though it had its challenges, was able to be conducted in an atmosphere of respect and professionalism," Cross said.
"Everyone is aware of the great difficulties faced by all students and staff due to the pandemic and its far-reaching effects,” she said. “It is fair to say the main focus of the negotiations process in our district had – and the resulting agreement has – the goal of recovering from these negative effects. While not satisfied that this agreement will provide everything that is needed, the association believes the new agreement makes great strides in that direction. We appreciate the spirit of cooperation and willingness to listen exhibited by both parties throughout the bargaining process."
Garside said the district and SWEA reached a memorandum of understanding on adding intervention support for students as a result of the pandemic and possible learning loss experienced when students learned remotely at home.
The release said the contract includes a board of education commitment of $4 million in federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund allocations to be used to hire additional support over the first two years (2022-23 and 2023-24) of the agreement.
The Columbus Dispatch reported in May that more than $190 billion in ESSER funds were issued to school districts and schools nationwide.
Garside said the district and SWEA will form a committee to look at starting and ending times for the school day – unchanged in more than 30 years – and also will examine direct student support services and potential changes in extracurricular contracts.
Such discussions will prepare both sides for the next round of negotiations when the new contract expires, Garside said.
Superintendent Bill Wise said the contract reflects a spirit of cooperation between the district and SWEA.
“Beyond financials, this contract reaffirms our ongoing commitment to staff and our collective efforts to make a positive difference for students,” Wise said in the release. “We appreciate the association's efforts to find mutual ways to help elevate student outcomes over the next three years.”
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This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: South-Western City School District: Board approves three-year teachers contract
