Bigfork board, teachers reach two-year contract agreement

The Bigfork School Board approved a two-year contract with the Bigfork Area Education Association Wednesday in addition to several one-year administrator contracts.

Teachers will receive a 2 percent increase for the 2015-16 school year and no increase for the 2016-17 school year. The contract will impact between 65 and 67 teachers.

The base salary with the 2 percent increase will be $29,205. New teachers, however, start at $32,710.

The decision to agree to a pay freeze in the 2016-17 was primarily due to budget and enrollment predictions, district Clerk Lacey Porrovecchio said.

During negotiations, the district and teachers took into account enrollment, which is predicted to stay the same rather than increase in the 2016-17 school year, and money from the state.

Bigfork Area Education Association President Charlie Appleby said teachers looked at what would be cut if they went for a 1 percent increase in 2016-17.

“Teachers are the most expensive thing in the budget. We think we were financially responsible and we got what we could without overextending the budget and losing teachers,” Appleby said.

Appleby said they also took into account that 19 teachers move up in lanes for furthering their education, thus receiving automatic increases.

“That’s another positive thing. It means teachers are getting educated,” Appleby said, adding, “Eighty-percent of our teachers are getting a raise even without a 2 percent increase.”

Another positive aspect is that teachers were able to negotiate that the district cover a health insurance premium increase.

Negotiations began in September and went well, Appleby said.

Administrator contracts will be for the 2015-16 school year.

Contracts approved were for the Bigfork High School principal, elementary and middle school principal, high school and middle school activities coordinator, assistant principal/special education director and clerk.

Among the contracts listed, the salary ranges from $84,232 for Bigfork High School Principal Alan Robbins to $44,737 for David Creamer, the Bigfork High School and Middle School activities coordinator.

Administrative staffers also received pay increases.

Although Superintendent Matt Jensen is currently on a three-year contract through the 2016-17 school year, the school board is looking at increasing his salary. Board members are expected to make that decision following an evaluation at a July 15 meeting.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.