Board approves pay increase for teachers

Teachers in the Little Falls School District will receive a 6 percent increase in salary over a two-year period.

The Little Falls School Board approved the increase Wednesday.

The two-year contract gives teachers a 3 percent salary increase in 2005-06 and another 3 percent salary increase in 2006-07.

"The district wanted to keep our salary schedule competitive with other districts in central Minnesota," said Little Falls School Board Chair Susan Prosapio.

A first-year teacher with a bachelor's degree would earn $28,390 this school year and $29,242 in 2006-07. A teacher with a master's degree, who has been with the school district the longest, would earn $57,076 this year and will earn $58,788 next school year.

Prosapio said the district will pay $11,451,617 for teachers' salaries and benefits, which includes retiree health and severance benefits, in 2005-06, an increase from 2004-05 of $418,205. The second year in the contract the district will pay $11,962,893, or an additional $511,275 over the previous contract year.

The district has 189 teachers on staff this year.

Prosapio said the district established a health retirement account for each teacher in the second year of the contract. She said this was added to help address the escalating costs of retiree health benefits.

JENNIFER STOCKINGER can be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851.