Trustees approved a tentative agreement between the district and the San Benito High School Teachers’ Association for a two-year contract with raises earlier this week.
“The district approved their side of the agreement so we are going to be having an association meeting today after school and then we’ll be voting to ratify this agreement,” said Katherine Foster, the president of the association, in an interview with the Free Lance on Thursday. “And I think it’s probably going to pass.”
Teachers will have until 4 p.m. Monday to accept or reject the proposed two-year contract, which promises the educators a 6 percent raise this year and an additional 4 percent raise next year.
“It’s a really good offer. It’s going to put our district’s certificated pay above anyone around us,” said Superintendent John Perales. “It’s something that’s needed.”
Teachers will also get a $300 winter bonus both years regardless of where they are in the step and column salary schedule. Teachers are paid on a “step and column” scale, meaning they systematically receive raises based on their education level and the number of years they have taught.
“We’ve done the math and at this point it would make us the highest paying district in the surrounding area,” Perales said.
The proposed contract would put the current expenses for teachers’ salaries at about 79 percent of the district budget this year, which is 3 percent more of the budget than in the previous school year. Fiscal advisors for the district suggest that the school keep the cost of all employees at between 80 and 85 percent of the budget, Perales said.
The last time there was a raise to teacher salary schedules in the district was last year, when the educators received a 2 percent raise, Foster said.
Look back for more.
