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Teachers in Jordan School District will get their pay raises this year thanks, in part, to federal cash coming to Utah to bolster education jobs.
After meeting with a state-appointed hearing officer, the district and the Jordan Education Association have reached a tentative agreement for teachers' contracts for the 2010-11 school year. Jordan will cover "step" increases for years on the job and "lane" jumps for advanced degrees and education credits. But there will be no pay boosts for teachers next year unless the Legislature kicks in the needed funds.
Members of the teachers' union will formally vote on the agreement next week, but the plan received a warm welcome at a JEA meeting on Wednesday, said President Jennifer Boehme.
"It is great," she said. "The response to that at the meeting today was applause."
Last spring, Jordan faced a $29 million budget shortfall for 2010-11. In June, the district slashed the $3.9 million needed to pay for teachers' raises, and JEA declared an impasse on contract negotiations.
Jordan spokesman Steve Dunham said the district can afford to pay for step and lane bumps now because of a $10 billion education package approved by Congress. Utah expects to receive $101 million and at least a portion of that money will go to school districts.
But, Dunham said, Jordan also will have to use local revenue to fund raises. The federal money has to be spent in the current school year.
Teacher salaries in Jordan range from $28,000 for a first-year teacher with a bachelor's degree to $62,000 for educators with advanced degrees and many years on the job. About one-third of teachers have reached their salary caps, Boehme said.
The agreement also includes regular meetings between the JEA president and the superintendent and a new teachers' committee that will address working conditions. Boehme said the goal is to "rebuild the relationship between the teachers and the district."