A pay increase for educators and an insurance cost-sharing plan are a few of the changes written into the new four-year teacher's contract that was ratified Thursday, September 25, by the St. Ignace Education Association and adopted by the St. Ignace Area Schools Board of Education four days later, at a special meeting Monday, September 29.

The two sides had reached a tentative agreement August 31, when the old contract expired, but did not disclose any details until the school board affirmed the pact Monday.

The new contract is retroactive to August 31.

The 41 teachers represented by the St. Ignace Education Association will receive a 1.55% increase in their salary each of the next four years, although they also will begin paying a portion of any medical insurance premium increases.

The school district will pay the full amount of premium increases up to 6% and the two groups agreed that teachers would equally share increased costs above the 6% mark. From the school's standpoint, Superintendent Mike Springsteen said, revenues are limited because of declining enrollment, and expenses are rising for items such as heat and fuel. From the teachers' standpoint, he said, they face an increase in the cost of living for similar expenses, although on a personal level.

"I think this is a pretty good compromise we all can live with," Mr. Springsteen told The St. Ignace News Thursday, October 3.

A new negotiation process called Interest Based Bargaining used by the two groups reduced the number of bargaining days and eliminated any animosity that often comes during negotiations, said Mr. Springsteen. The previous two-year agreement took about 11 months to hammer out, while this time, under the new process, bargaining lasted seven days.

The process, which likely will be used in St. Ignace again in four years, was developed jointly by the Michigan Association of School Boards and the Michigan Education Association. The process approaches negotiations differently than typical bargaining, said Mr. Springsteen.

Typically, the two sides sit across the table from each other and exchange proposals and then negotiate toward a compromise.

Under Interest Based Bargaining, he said, the six teacher representatives and five school representatives attended training sessions that taught each group how to find a way to have their needs met, while understanding limitations, needs, and any restrictions of the other side.

"It was a process that allowed both sides to hear the issues that both sides were dealing with," said Mr. Springsteen. "You knew what they were thinking and you knew why they thought that issue was important."

Bargainers were then able to work out possible solutions to an issue.

A consensus had to be reached on any point by everyone at the table. There were no secret ballots or votes.

"When we were all done," he said, "there was no animosity in the group. It was a very, very positive experience."

Also under the agreement, the use of a teacher's personal leave days was discouraged during professional development days. Agreement language now calls for the involvement of an administrator after two personal days are used when professional development days are scheduled, said Mr. Springsteen. At that time, the teacher would be required to discuss the matter with an administrator, who then would consider the time off request.

The school will work with teachers when scheduling professional development days to establish the programs on days that have the least impact on classroom instruction. For example, said Mr. Springsteen, the school would shy away from scheduling a professional development day on Wednesday, as teachers would be in the middle a week's worth of lessons.

Contract language was clarified regarding the 50% reimbursement teachers receive for tuition when they pursue additional education. The classes that apply for payment must relate to a teacher's assignment at the school.

For a number of years, the teachers have had a sick bank in which each teacher contributes one day. The school board also matches those sick days. The concept of the sick bank is for use when a teacher is off for five days or more for the same illness, but not long enough for long term disability, such as with surgery. Previously, to qualify to use days in the sick bank, a teacher had to exhaust all of his or her own sick day reserve.

Teachers get 11 sick days a year.

Now teachers can request sick bank days when they have three left in their personal account. The thinking behind the change, said Mr. Springsteen, is to offer a cushion for teachers. If a teacher who had been off for an extended time returns, and they had a need for additional days, at least three would be available.

The school calendar was adopted for a total of 177 days, which is the same as last year.

Language was added and clarified for the new title of vocal music coordinator, which now is in the same section of the contract that covers coaches. The position, which replaces the elementary music coordinator, is new to the contract and covers compensation for time spent outside the regular school day and includes work with the Elementary School Children's Choir.

The daily school schedule changed to accommodate a more smoothly operating bus system and to shorten the high school lunch program. Now 25 minutes, the lunch break for high school students had been 30 minutes. The last five minutes of the period, said Mr. Springsteen, proved to be when the most discipline problems arose.

The change also better accommodated an elementary daily staff meeting that previously was split to five minutes before school and five minutes after school. Now the staff meets daily for 10 minutes at the end of the school day.

A recommended class size for physical education was set at no more than 35 students in a class. It had been no more than 40 students.

The next regular school board meeting is Monday, October 13, at 7 p.m. in the middle school library.