Sturgis Public Schools board approves employee contracts, 2022-23 budget

Michelle Patrick, Sturgis Journal
·2 min read
Sturgis had an 89.7 percent attendance rate during the 2021-22 school year.

Members of the Sturgis Public Schools Board of Education Monday approved a number of employee contracts.

The contracts are:

  • Four-year contracts with no reopeners. These contracts will cover the 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26 school years.

  • All staff eligible for step advancement will be advanced steps as outlined in their contract.

  • All staff eligible for column advancement will be advanced columns as outlined in their contract.

  • All staff will receive a 2 percent increase for each of the next four years.

  • All staff will receive an additional 1 percent increase during any school year, over the next four years, where student enrollment is greater than or equal to the previous school year's enrollment.

  • An additional step will be added to Column C (Masters' Degree or 40 Approved College Credits beyond a Bachelors' Degree) and Column D (Column C plus 20 Approved College Credits) to the Teacher Salary Schedule for the 2022-23 school year.

  • All other employee groups will get an additional Column or Step similar in nature to the additional step that the teachers are getting. Every salary schedule has a different structure, so this will be applied based on what works with each contract's salary schedule structure.

  • Health Benefits will be re-bid in 2023 for January 1, 2024, implementation.

Other highlights include....

  • Mechanics will now be paid $25, $27.50, or $30 per hour based on relevant licenses held.

  • Food Service employees at Sturgis High School, Sturgis Middle School, and Eastwood Elementary School will get a bonus at the end of each semester if their building was understaffed and under budget for food service wages.

  • Calendars for the 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26 school years have been set.

The board also reviewed and approved the 2022-23 budget. In the general fund, revenues are at about $41,414,000 and expenditures are at about $41,314,000 for a change in fund equity of about $99,000. The figures are about $5 million higher than previous years, due to ESSER II and ESSER III projects, said Ray Sterling, director of finance for Sturgis Public Schools.

Board members also went into closed session to again consult with an attorney regarding trial or settlement strategy in connection with a specific pending litigation and to continue a periodic personnel evaluation of a staff member.

This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Sturgis Public Schools board approves employee contract, budget