Board ratifies 2.95% base-wage settlement with Sheboygan Education Association

The Sheboygan Area School District Board of Education approved a ratified collective bargaining agreement with the Sheboygan Education Association (SEA) that sets an aggregate base-wage increase of 2.95% for the coming year, the administration said. Board member Jake thanked negotiators and the employee group for their work, noting the district had hoped for larger increases. "We were really, really hopeful this year," Jake said, while acknowledging the limits imposed by the state budget outlook. District staff member Mark explained elements of the new salary schedule to trustees. He said the starting wage will increase from about $48,010.04 to $50,001.33 and described the elimination of previously used "gray cells" that placed some veteran teachers on a separate column; the revised schedule will run from step 1 to step 27 with an additional step tied to TDI certification. Mark said the top step with the TDI will be $86,001.33. Nut graf: Trustees voted to approve the settlement after presentations from negotiators and staff; the agreement includes both the base-wage increase governed by CPI constraints and structural salary-schedule changes designed to make early-career steps more competitive. Board meeting minutes record a motion to ratify the collective bargaining agreement and base-wage settlement with the SEA at 2.95% in the aggregate; the motion carried on a voice vote with the board president calling for "aye" from those present. The board and administration said they will continue discussions with employee groups about benefits and insurance, noting that the district's ability to do more is limited by the broader state funding outlook described earlier in the meeting. Mark said the district had prioritized increasing entry-level competitiveness and allowing certain teachers previously frozen in "gray cells" to move up the salary steps. Ending: Board staff said they will implement the new salary schedule in payroll and present any further contract-related details at upcoming committee meetings.