News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
The Sisters School District plans to include a cost-of-living salary increase of from 1.5 to 2 percent for all employees in the budget for the 1999-2000 school year.
The boost, based on the Consumer Price Index, reflects the district's confidence that the state Legislature, currently debating school funding, will provide nearly $5 billion dollars in next year's budget.
According to schools superintendent Steve Swisher, lawmakers and Governor John Kitzhaber appear to agree on a figure of approximately $4.95 billion.
"That $4.95 billion number is not a bad number; they seem to have settled on that," Swisher said. "The debate is where the money is going to come from."
If that level of funding comes through, the Sisters School District's budget will jump by $400-500,000 to approximately $6.5 million.
According to Swisher, under that scenario, the district will be able to keep its current staffing level and handle a nearly $100,000 increase in Public Employees Retirement funds resulting from a two-year-old statewide lawsuit settlement.
The proposed cost of living increase would cost the district approximately $80,000 across the board, Swisher said.
The district is currently involved in contract negotiations with its teachers. According to Swisher, negotiations are being conducted by union representative Ken Steiger and the district's negotiator John Witty. The district expects to receive an initial contract proposal on April 23, Swisher said.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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