Columbia Board of Education discusses negotiations in closed meeting
The Columbia Board of Education on Monday met behind closed doors to discuss how a school funding increase included in the state budget would affect its response to a counterproposal from the Columbia Missouri National Education Association.
The board took no vote, but Superintendent Peter Stiepleman said the board discussed how additional education funding in the budget approved by the General Assembly last month would affect the negotiations with the teachers’ union.
The board plans to consider the CMNEA counterproposal at its May 11 meeting.
The budget on Gov. Jay Nixon’s desk includes an $84 million increase for next year in the formula that funds public schools. Linda Quinley, CPS chief financial officer, said Monday that would add $1.8 million for Columbia schools.
She said the proposed budget represents full funding of the formula, but does not adjust the per-pupil spending, called the State Adequacy Target, which has not been adjusted for many years.
The CPS negotiation team stopped showing up at scheduled negotiating sessions after presenting its final offer in March. The offer allowed for continuation of existing increases based on education and experience, but no increase to the base and minimum salaries or restoration of the frozen step. CPS officials cited lackluster state funding, continued deficit spending and diminishing fund reserves as reasons for the district offer. The school board approved the CPS proposal at its April meeting.
The CMNEA in a counterproposal last month gave up its request for a 5 percent increase to the base and minimum salaries for teachers, but continued to seek restoration of salaries frozen in 2009-10. Salaries frozen in 2008-09 were restored in last year’s negotiated agreement.
CMNEA negotiating team member Kathy Steinhoff estimated the action would cost the district $541,946 in 2014-15 and decline each year after that as a result of teacher retirements and resignations. She projected the five-year cost at $1,454,946.
“They should easily be able to fund the frozen step” with the additional $1.8 million, CMNEA President Susan McClintic said Monday.
She said it’s the only financial issue in the counterproposal and would make a big difference in resolving teacher morale issues and disappointment over the negotiations.
The CMNEA proposal also seeks protection of “teacher-directed” planning time.
McClintic said she had not heard anything from the school district about the situation on Monday.
“I’m in the dark as usual,” she said.
Individual teacher contracts can be re-issued if changes are approved to the negotiated contract, McClintic said.
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