Heights approves increase in base pay

A base salary increase of $100 for teachers in the Jackson Heights school district has been approved for the 2016-17 school year by the USD 335 Board of Education.

At this point, however, the board is waiting to see if there will be a 2016-17 school year.

During the board’s regular monthly meeting on Monday, District Superintendent and Elementary Principal Adrianne Walsh updated board members on the current situation involving the Kansas Legislature and the Kansas Supreme Court over K-12 school funding. If the Legislature cannot resolve the situation by June 30, it was reported, public schools across the state will close.

If that situation is resolved, however, and schools remain open for the 2016-17 year, teachers in the Jackson Heights school district will earn a new base salary of $33,875, with “steps” of $600 incorporated into the salary schedule according to each teacher’s level of education and years of service. The base salary for 2015-16 was $33,775, meaning the district is looking at an overall base salary increase of $3,500, or $100 for each of the district's 35 teachers.

Supplemental contract increases for coaching and other advisory positions — with each supplemental contract salary based on a percentage of the base salary — were also granted as part of the salary contract for 2016-17, as was a revised staff reduction policy for the year.

However, Walsh and the board noted that unless the Legislature and the Supreme Court can come to an agreement on school funding by June 30, there may not be a 2016-17 at Jackson Heights — or at any public school in Kansas. In the meantime, educators across the state are taking a “prepare for the worst and hope for the best” stance in regard to the matter.

“We’re in an unprecedented time, really, for any state, not just Kansas,” Walsh told board members. “I don’t know exactly what the rules of the game are going to be if we have school closures. We can only guess at this point.”

The court has ordered the Legislature to fix inequities in school funding by that date, it was reported, and if that does not happen, the court has stated an intent to block education funding to schools across the state. Walsh noted that Gov. Sam Brownback has called a special Legislative session for Thursday, June 23, to address and possibly fix the situation.

“What I’ve been hearing is that they’re hoping to have everything done by the end of the day on June 24, if the legislators are focused on everything,” Walsh said of the upcoming special session. “But that’s just an anticipation, an assumption — nobody knows at this point.”

In the meantime, those involved with summer programs, including sports, that utilize the school district’s facilities have been told by Walsh that “they probably need to think about a Plan B” in case the schools are closed and the facilities are no longer available. Also, colleges and other schools requesting student transcripts would need to request them before June 30, board members noted.

Walsh also asked board members to consider a special meeting to be held before the end of June to handle bills that might otherwise be covered at the board’s next regular meeting, set for Monday, July 11. That special meeting was tentatively set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 28.

In other business on Monday, board members:

* Approved the meeting’s agenda and consent agenda, the latter including minutes from the May 9 board meeting, monthly bills and activity account reports and acceptance of a $500 grant and a $1,000 grant, both from Walmart.

* Approved a workers compensation insurance plan for 2016-17 from Accident Fund Insurance Company, with a premium cost of $33,210 as presented by Jared Beam of Brier Payne Meade Insurance of Topeka. The company’s plan for 2015-16 had a premium cost of $34,321, meaning the district will pay $1,111 less in premium costs for the coming year.

* Met with Larry Amon to discuss plans for reconstruction of the football field press box and creation of a new concession stand in the old JHHS weight room. Amon estimated that the work would cost $74,602 in total.

* Approved the ACT preparatory class fee of $33 per student for 2016-17.

* Approved the annual food program for 2016-17, including increasing the adult lunch price from $3.45 to $3.50, the elementary lunch price from $2.05 to $2.20, the middle and high school lunch price from $2.25 to $2.40, the elementary breakfast price from $1.15 to $1.25 and the middle and high school breakfast price from $1.25 to $1.35.

* Tabled action on revisions to the middle and high school handbook for 2016-17 until certain revisions — notably selection of senior class valedictorians and salutatorians — can be discussed with Middle and High School Principal Darren Shupe, who was not present for Monday’s meeting.

* Heard reports from Walsh on student accident insurance options, possible replacement of a district lawnmower and upcoming summer projects, including lighting at the bus barn and track fence work.

* Met in executive session for 40 minutes with Walsh present to discuss personnel matters and teacher salary contract negotiations. Upon returning to open session, the board accepted the resignation of Chris Brown as assistant middle school track coach, offered Denise Visocsky the assistant middle school track coach position, offered elementary teaching contracts to Shayla Nelson and Chelsea Murphy and approved the teacher salary contract for 2016-17.

* Adjourned the meeting at approximately 10 p.m. All board members were present.