Originally published in the 9/22/17 print edition of Yellowstone County News.
WORDEN — Teachers in the Huntley Project School District will receive raises and increased health insurance contributions under a one-year contract approved by the school board.
The agreement caps a negotiation process between the Huntley Project Education Association and the school board. It increases the salary schedule by 1.9 percent beginning with the current school year.
The district will also pay up to $613 per month toward a participating teacher’s individual health insurance premium in the district’s group insurance program, which is an increase of $50 per month.
The salary agreement includes an increase in the longevity benefit for employees who are past step 23 in any column of the salary table. These employees are unable to progress on the salary table despite earning advanced degrees or more years of teaching experience.
This translates to $950 extra for a bachelor’s degree, $1,200 for bachelor’s degree plus three years, $1,300 for a master’s degree and $1,600 for a master’s degree plus at least one year.
The negotiations committee, which included school board member Tim Ley and HPEA President Becky Nay, decided that “the current longevity benefit does little to compensate for cost of living increases.”
Read more about local Huntley Project events on the www.huntleyproject.net community website.
