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Board approves new teachers’ contract

3 min read

CARMICHAELS – Teachers in the Carmichaels Area School District will start the school year with a new contract.

The school board voted unanimously Thursday to approve a new five-year contract with the teachers that includes an average 2.9 percent increase in salaries during the life of the agreement.

The average salary increase during the five years is $1,630, though some teachers will receive more and some less, depending on their years of service in the district, business manager Amy Todd said.

The contract also includes changes regarding health insurance that should represent a savings to the district through, for example, increases in employee contributions, she said.

The 80 members of the Carmichaels Area Education Association voted to ratify the agreement Monday. An association representative was not present at Thursday’s meeting.

“I think we’ve come to an agreement that is good for both sides,” board President Tom Ricco said following the meeting. “It helps keep us fiscally responsible as a school district,” he said.

Superintendent John Menhart also thanked members of the association’s bargaining committee for their work in helping the two sides reach an agreement.

In other business, Menhart said that though work continues on the high school renovation project, the district is still planning to start school as scheduled on Aug. 25.

The library and boys’ locker room and the gymnasium may not be completed for the start of school, but those areas will be sealed off to students so work can continue, Menhart said.

Asked when the district might hold an open house for the public for the renovated buildings, Menhart said the focus now is getting students into the buildings and any open house would probably have to wait until sometime after school begins.

The board voted to hire Fred Morecraft as elementary principal at a salary of $62,500. Morecraft is currently a sixth-grade teacher in the district.

Morecraft will serve as acting elementary principal until he receives his principal’s certification. Menhart said Morecraft has completed all requirements for the certification and the receipt of his certification is now only a matter of paperwork.

Dave Bates, who previously served as acting elementary principal, earlier transferred to an elementary teaching position.

Middle school Principal Ronald Gallagher reported that sixth-grade orientation will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18, and seventh-grade orientation will be held Wednesday, Aug. 19. Both will be held in the auditorium.

The board scheduled an activities and athletic committee meeting for 7:45 p.m. Thursday to discuss possibly starting a middle school baseball team and to discuss parents’ and board members’ concerns about new policy regarding the marching band.

A parent told the board Thursday that under the new band policy a student would receive a reduction in letter grade for an un-excused absence from a marching band event. Board members said they were unaware of policy changes and noted the changes had not as required been presented to the board for approval.

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