Advertisement

The negotiations, which have been in mediation for several months now, came to an end Tuesday as Board of Education members approved the pact that will run through the end of the 2010 school year.

The current contract expired on August 31, 2007 and the newly approved contract will be retroactive to that date.

The main issues during the negotiations centered around language regarding salary and insurance.

The contract includes 180 teacher days and 173 students days, with an additional 15 minutes of instructional time being added per day, and winter and spring breaks being based on the Genesee Intermediate School District's common calendar in accordance with the new State Law.

Salary compensation includes increases of, 0 percent with steps, and 1.5 percent for members at the top of the wage schedule that no longer receive annual step wage increases (off schedule money), for the 2007-08 school year; 1 percent on schedule with steps for the 2008-09 school year; and 1 percent on schedule with steps and 1 percent off schedule for all members for the 2009-10 school year.

Insurance compensation includes the district contributing $1,334 per employee per month for the 2007-08 school year with 5 percent increases being added for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years, assuming health costs increase to that amount. Specific language of the contract includes the district paying the first 5 percent of health care costs, the employee paying the second 5 percent, and the two equally splitting any cost above the 10 percent.

School Superintendent Mark Kleinhans noted that Montrose has a unique contract in that the district designates a specific dollar amount for health care and the members choose the plan they wish to use it for.

Members chose to move to MESSA Choices II from their previous MESSA Super Care insurance.

Other areas of the contract include the district paying for new hand scan (fingerprints) of all teachers, two additional personal days for use in graduate coursework, and twenty professional development days per building, per year.

"Coming to an agreement on contracts is never easy but everyone worked very hard to do what is best for our students and we are very pleased to bring this to a resolution," stated Kleinhans.

"Both sides worked very hard to come to an agreement and I want to thank both the board mediation team and the teacher negotiation team for all of their hard work during this process. This will allow our district to move forward and continue to focus on educational issues," he added.

In other action the board approved the granting of tenure and probationary status to the following teachers; Tenure was awarded to Dale Boulton, Melissa Myczkowiak, and Danielle Folsom.

Four-year probationary status was awarded to Rose McMunigal, three-year probationary status was awarded to Janice Crane and Shannon Kaiser, and two-year probationary status was awarded to Amy Dowd, Angela Reilly, and Sarah Tabaszewski.

Parshallburg Campers experiences second theft in two weeks

DEB MILLER

The Tri-County Citizen

CHESANING TWP. - Parshallburg Campers, located at 15775 Oakley Road (North M-52) in Chesaning was burglarized for the second time in two weeks Thursday night.

Friday morning authorities were on the scene investigating tracks left in the snow during the most recent theft that included several generators and power cords being taken from a storage shed.

According to vice-president Kevin Carlton the business does have surveillance on-site and is currently taking steps to add additional surveillance.

The first theft occurred sometime between March 13 and March 19 when over 500 feet of wiring was stolen.

Thirteen RV units, along with a portable welder, were stripped of their power cords sometime during the five-day time frame.

Cords removed from the RV units were 25-foot long and the cord cut from the welder was 200 feet long.

The cords consisted of heavy gauge wiring that can be sold or melted down for their copper.

Saginaw County Sheriff's Department Detective Sergeant Randy Pfau said information the department is receiving from agencies Southern to Saginaw County shows that many communities are experiencing similar events.

Authorities attribute the recent rash of thefts to the current economy and the high price of scrap.

"It makes it difficult for law enforcement agencies when the price of scrap is so high," said Pfau.

Investigation in both matters is ongoing and authorities are asking for the community's assistance.

Anyone with information is asked to call Sergeant Pfau at 989-790-5450.