Jan 16, 2008 2:25 pm US/Central
Districts Face Fines Over Tardy Teacher Contracts
ST. PAUL (AP) ―
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The state teachers union, Education Minnesota, said Wednesday morning that it had word of settlements in most of the 346 districts that were negotiating deals.
CBS
Missing a deadline for approving new two-year teacher contracts will mean missing out on thousands of dollars in state aid for several Minnesota school districts.
Most districts beat a midnight Tuesday deadline for ratifying contracts, but final reports from the state teachers union identified 16 districts that didn't get it done. With the exception of one district that enlisted an arbitrator, the late districts will be hit with a $25 per student penalty.
"The commissioner does not have any discretion" to waive the fine, said Tom Melcher, director of program finance for the Department of Education.
Melcher said the department will impose the penalty as soon as the agency gets official word from districts, which aren't required to report on their contract status until the end of January.
"It's a one-shot deal," Melcher said, explaining that districts won't suffer a loss of aid beyond this year.
Each district negotiates its own contract with local union leaders. This year there were 346 contracts up for consideration, and salary and health benefits were the primary points of discussion in most places.
The statewide union, Education Minnesota, said contracts proved elusive in Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City, Carlton, Clinton Graceville, East Central, Faribault, Hendricks, Ivanhoe, Houston, McGregor, Menahga, Red Lake Falls, St. Cloud, St. Louis County, Waconia and Wrenshall.
Another district, Albert Lea, decided last month to enter binding arbitration, giving it more time to finish a contract.
Several districts raced to the finish line. Hutchinson Superintendent Daron VanderHeiden said his school board needed an emergency meeting to ratify the new contract with about six hours to spare.
St. Cloud, the largest district without an agreement, faces the biggest financial hit -- $257,000 according to Superintendent Bruce Watkins.
A few districts in line for penalties this year were in the same position in 2006.
The St. Louis County district, for instance, suffered a $63,880 loss in aid two years ago. This time, the penalty is about $54,000, said Superintendent Charles Rick.
"We're still in mediation. We just couldn't get it done," Rick said.
Two years ago, the total statewide penalties amounted to $345,000. The most on record is the roughly $833,000 in withheld money in 1994 when 17 districts failed to complete timely contracts.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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