
The proposal, which goes to the district's 289 teachers today, would reopen the 2007-09 contract and seek changes in how teachers and district share the cost of health insurance in the next school year. The board would have to ratify the changes, perhaps even today, said Supt. Lloyd McCabe.
Under the settlement, teachers received a 4.7 percent package increase for each year.
The Kaukauna Education Association's move comes a week before administrators announce a round of job and program cuts to counter a projected $1.5 million deficit this coming fall. It would be the third time administrators make reductions of more than $1 million since summer 2006, and it could be another three or four years before Kaukauna recovers.
"The public will often perceive the teachers as being to blame for this financial deficit. I know it sounds like a question of semantics, but I don't think it's fair to blame the teachers," said Shawn Allen, a high school Spanish teacher and union president.
The budget constraints stem from the 2005-07 and 2007-09 contracts a majority of the Board of Education approved in May 2006 not knowing the calculations were based on inaccurate information. Auditors, a month later, found the district was carrying a $1.3 million deficit for 2005-06.
Board Vice President Todd Arnoldussen has asked district financial officer Bob Schafer for a detailed report that breaks down additional costs the district has incurred because of the contracts.
"I was financially attuned to the fact that these language changes were going to end up costing the district money in the long run," he said.
Early on, he was critical of the 4.7 percent package increase the contracts provide each year and had sought a third-party analysis before the board ratified them.
"There's no question that we are a part of the problem but I don't think it's fair to say that we caused the problem," Allen said.
Estimates released last month show the settlements accounted for an additional $668,000 from 2005-06 to 2007-08.
Under the contracts, teachers require fewer steps to move up. The district also established a new system for lane advancement, where teachers can earn points through mentoring, book-study groups and in-service.
"The numbers will be presented with a lot of cautions that it's very difficult to really nail down the impact because there are too many variables," McCabe said.
Arnoldussen recognizes the board has little recourse with the remaining time on the contract but says he wants to introduce a plan regarding the district's finances, though he declined to give specifics.
Savings to the district, if teachers accept a revised salary schedule, will not be known until the district has its new insurance rates in May, said Kevin Hansen, a retired high school social studies teacher and a hired consultant for the teachers union.
McCabe and the board are preparing for a series of budget workshops through February, three of which are for the public.
The sessions, to be held in three locations, are designed to give district residents time to ask questions and make recommendations regarding finances before the board acts on any proposed cuts, which will be announced Jan. 14.
As part of cost-saving measures, administrators have expressed interest in selling the historic building on Main Avenue that houses the district's central offices.
The public meetings kick off at 4:30 p.m. Jan. 15 at River View Middle School. The second public meeting is at 7 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Sherwood Village Hall. The final session is at 7 p.m. Jan. 28 at Haen Elementary School.
The public is invited to participate in a board meeting Jan. 21. The board votes on the reductions Feb. 11.
(postcrescent.com)