District offers three salary options; union holds to 7.5% step-and-lane demand and presses leapfrogging fixes

The Ithaca City School District (ICSD) presented three distinct counterproposals for teacher pay on March 27 as bargaining continued with the Ithaca Teachers Association (ITA). ICSD negotiators described 1) a two‑year rollover at 4% per year, 2) a four‑year plan at 4% per year plus new longevity steps (the district said the total package equals about a 19.68% increase over four years), and 3) a narrower two‑year 4% approach plus a promise to investigate and remedy leapfrogging cases.

The ITA reiterated it could not accept any of the district’s three approaches and kept its previously filed step‑and‑lane demand: 7.5% to the overall salary pool each year for four years and a full transition to a step‑and‑lane pay schedule. The union asked the district for a case‑by‑case review of pay discrepancies it calls "leapfrogging," and reserved the right to present a counterproposal by Monday, April 7.

Why it matters: The proposals differ not only in aggregate dollars but in distribution. ICSD said its four‑year proposal aims to balance predictability, mid‑ and late‑career retention and long‑term budget sustainability by adding longevity payments at defined intervals (examples given: $750 at year 5, $1,500 at year 10, $2,250 at year 15, $3,000 at year 20). The ITA said district proposals would leave many midcareer and long‑serving educators compressed relative to newer hires and therefore asked the district to remedy compression before accepting a lower percentage plan.

Key details from the session

- ICSD presentation: District HR staff presented baseline workforce numbers the district uses to model costs: roughly…