News editor
Hillsboro USD 410 Board of Education approved the 2012-13 master contract for teachers on Monday, including raises for teachers.
Under the new master contract, teachers will make between $32,750 for brand new teachers and $51,395 for teachers with a master’s degree plus 30 credits of continuing education and 21 years of experience. That is an increase from 2011-12 when the extremes were $31,675 and $49,520.
Raises were $1,075 for teachers with bachelor’s degrees and between $1,575 and $1,875 for teachers with master’s degrees, not including raises for increased training and additional service time.
The board approved the master contract, which was negotiated with teacher representatives, after meeting in closed session for 12 minutes to discuss the negotiations.
After meeting in closed session for 43 minutes to discuss personnel matters, the board approved raises for other categories of employees. Classified employees will receive a 4 percent pay increase, effective July 1; the minimum wage for employees who have been with the district at least 12 months will be $9. Pay for an evening custodian position was set at $12 per hour.
Superintendent Steve Noble’s salary was set at $95,000. When he was hired in 2009, his salary was $91,000. In the interim, he completed a doctoral degree.
The board also approved hiring Becky Freeman as a preschool teacher, governed by the master contract, and Ashlee Gann as director of Families and Communities Together at a salary of $35,000. FACT has its own board and funding, but the director is hired through the district.
In other business:
- Principals Evan Yoder, Greg Brown, and Max Heinrichs presented proposed changes to the schools’ handbooks. Most of the changes were more a matter of clarification rather than policy.
- Heinrichs told the board that Hillsboro High School now has 20 approved career pathways. The HHS curriculum will have 11 new classes in 2012-13. The school is looking to restart a partnership for welding classes.
- Hoisington and Larned will join the Central Kansas League in 2014-15. With the additions, HHS may be able to actually reduce travel times for sports and activities because the league may split into two divisions.
- There will be 168 days of school in 2012-13, with teachers working 178 days. The first day of school will be Aug. 23, a Friday. Noble said teachers supported starting school on a Friday because it would be a good opportunity to get students oriented for the new school year.
- Retiring middle school custodian Doris Maltbie was thanked for her work in the district.
- The board approved the revised 2012 budget after nobody spoke at a budget hearing.
- Energy Systems Group of St. Louis, Mo., gave a presentation about a method the district could finance building improvements in areas like lighting, heating, and air-conditioning based on savings in energy use, maintenance and repairs, and avoided capital expense. The board took no action.
- USD 410 will be divided between two Kansas House of Representatives districts based on maps approved by a panel of federal judges on Thursday. Hillsboro will now be in the 74th District, currently represented by Don Schroeder. Lehigh and Durham will remain in the 70th District, currently represented by Bob Brookens. Hillsboro is also no longer in Jeff Longbine’s Kansas Senate district, joining Durham and Lehigh in Jay Emler’s district.
The board will have its next regular meeting at 7 p.m. July 9. A special meeting to review financials will be at noon July 11.