Salaries of Lincoln Public Schools teachers will increase 3.07 percent salary next year — $1,675 for full-time teachers — under a tentative agreement reached with the teachers' union.
The Lincoln Education Association approved the agreement, and the Lincoln Board of Education will vote on it at its Feb. 27 meeting.
The agreement was approved by about 98 percent of the members of LEA, which represents about 2,400 teachers and other certified employees. The agreement affects about 3,500 certified employees.
The total compensation package — including health insurance, retirement and Social Security — will increase 2.68 percent for the 2018-19 school year. Health insurance premiums are not increasing this year, LPS officials said.
The base salary of a new teacher would increase $1,175 to $45,156. Increases for first-year teachers are $500 less so their salaries aren’t the same as second-year teachers. A teacher at the top of the LPS pay scale, who has a doctorate and 36 years of experience, will get $86,001. A teacher with a master’s degree and 19 years of experience — the largest group of employees — will receive $61,939.
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The last contract covered two school years, with total package increases of 3.18 percent in 2016-17 and 3.19 percent in 2017-18. The packages included a $1,600 raise the first year and a $1,650 increase the second year.
Compensation represents the biggest budget item for LPS. The total cost of the contract will be $266.6 million. That’s an increase of $6.9 million over this year's cost.
Lanny Boswell, president of the ed board, said the one-year agreement makes sense because it provides needed flexibility in the face of a lot uncertainty in the Legislature.