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Board approves salary agreement
McCook Public Schools board of education members at noon Friday approved a 2009-10 agreement with certificated staff and the McCook Education Association, raising the base teacher's salary by $1,273 a year.
School board president Tom Bredvick reported, following closed session during a special meeting, that the salary for a new teacher in the McCook school system increases from $28,770 to $30,043.
Bredvick said that the increase, however, is offset in part by an increase in insurance deductible from $300 to $600.
The agreement with the MEA passed on a 4-1 vote, with board member Larry Shields casting the lone dissenting vote explaining this morning that he is upset by the 4.42 percent pay increase for 119 certificated teachers.
"My biggest reason is this nation's economic downturn," Shields said. "In these hard times, it's hard to justify pay raises like this."
The State of Nebraska and Red Willow County are both holding raise increases to 2-2 1/2 percent, Shields said. "What's this saying to our taxpayers," he asked, when teachers' salaries increase at nearly twice that rate.
Shields said he would prefer that the McCook school system base its salaries and salary increases on the status of the McCook system, not comparing it to 11 other like-sized school systems in Nebraska. "Those other schools won't care if McCook has a budget shortfall," Shields said. "We have to do what's best for McCook. Tighten our belts and take care of business at home."
Also during the special meeting Friday, finance director Rick Haney explained the very early stages of the school's 2009-10 budget and the possibility of a decreased tax levy.
Haney said he received these certified assessed valuations from county assessors Thursday:
Red Willow County: $425,293,237
Hitchcock: $7,302,461
Frontier: $15,995,378
Hayes: $531,587
These figures indicate an increase in valuation of $16,189,166, from $432, 933,497 in 2008-09 to $449,122,663 in 2009-10. At a $1.05 tax levy, that valuation increase would generate $169,986.24 in increased revenue. "It's really good news," Haney said, "when assessed valuations increase, indicating a healthy economy."
Haney said no tax levy has been set yet, as budget work is in its very preliminary stages. "This is a starting point only," Bredvick said.
Haney did say, however, that there is an opportunity to decrease the tax levy -- by holding the line on expenses and "operating well" -- to what could possibly be the lowest levy in eight years. Using property tax levy history since 2003, Haney estimated the levy for 2009-2010 could be $1.188175 (including the special building fund and bond fund), down from $1.219037 in 2009. The previous high levy, in 2003, was $1.232723.