Douglas County schools to give pay hike, but union calls it a mirage

?The financial situation for the Douglas County School District appears to be leveling out after four years of budget cuts.

Douglas County plans no cuts for the 2013-14 school year and will give a 2 percent pay increase to all employees, the second year in a row teachers would receive pay hikes.

That was among the recommendations Superintendent Liz Fagenmade to the school board Tuesday night.

"We want to send a signal to our employees that they will have a raise next year," Fagen said before Tuesday's meeting. "They are going to have more money than this year."

But teacher union president Brenda Smith said teachers will actually be making less next year than they did this year, because the proposed salary does not include a one-time stipend and the base salary also is slightly lower.

"What she's proposing is just a mirage," Smith said. "It's misleading information."

Among Fagen's other recommendations:

? Eliminate the $25-per-student technology fee, which would save parents a total of $1.2 million;

? Absorbing a 0.9 percent increase in PERA benefits and increases in health insurance costs ranging from 6 to 8 percent.

There are about 65,000 students in Douglas County schools. This year, the district received a little more than $6,100 per pupil under the state school finance act. Worst-case scenario, the schools will receive an additional $200 per pupil, including a $125 increase from the state and a $75 one-time payout from the district.

The board will approve its budget later this year.

While the extra money for each student does not seem like a lot, it means plenty for schools that have seen either class sizes grow or teachers taking on more students than in previous years.

Legend High principal Corey Wise said the extra cash will work out to the equivalent of two full-time teachers across several departments at the Parker school.

"Any time we're a growing school, it's going to go to classes and increase in teachers," Wise said. "We get to hire more teachers."

But like with most things in Douglas County, the news can be seen from different vantage points.

Some believe the district has a carryover of its general fund of about $84 million, but that number has been disputed by the district. Regardless, that has led some to criticize the district for not putting the extra money back into the classroom.

"We are lacking basic funds to adequately serve our kids," Smith said. "What she is putting out is simply not enough to get our schools to where they need to be."

However, district officials say some of that money has already been spent or is earmarked for classrooms going forward. They project an end balance of $51.9 million at the end of this school year, and an unassigned fund balance of $15 million.

"We inherited an unhealthy budget situation," Fagen said, "and we've worked hard to stabilize it by spending the money we have, not the money we hope to have."

Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175, cillescas@denverpost.com or twitter.com/cillescasdp

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/dp-news-local/~3/QD_sWr8mVwA/douglas-county-schools-give-pay-hike-but-union

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