Board and JCA reach tentative deals on pay, sub pay and adverse‑event language; virtual/alternative schedule unresolved

Negotiators for the Geary County Board of Education and the JCA reached tentative agreements on salary, substitute pay and new language for make‑up days after adverse events, but left the district's HD Karnes alternative and virtual‑school scheduling unresolved, participants said.

The agreements include raising the district salary base and providing a minimum 1.5% increase to each cell in the salary schedule and raising substitute pay to $27 per hour. The parties also agreed on revised wording for make‑up days tied to adverse events that sets a three‑workday review window with an option to reconvene or extend only by mutual agreement, according to the negotiators' summary at the end of the meeting.

Why it matters: changes to the salary schedule and substitute pay affect payroll expense and staffing costs; adverse‑event language defines how the district and association handle lost instructional days; and unresolved virtual/alternative scheduling affects teacher planning time and class size at HD Karnes and for any new virtual students.

Key agreements and outcomes

- Salary and supplements: The parties reached a tentative compensation package that raises the base salary level (summary references a base near $47,900) and guarantees at least a 1.5% increase in each salary cell. Negotiators recorded the change as a mutual agreement for the current round of talks.

- Substitute pay: The union accepted an increase to $27 per hour for substitute teachers and the board indicated acceptance of that rate.

- Adverse‑event (make‑up) language: Negotiators agreed on language that gives the authorized representatives of both sides three workdays to review and either accept a tentative plan or propose changes. If no agreement is reached, both parties may agree to reconvene or extend the deadline; extensions require mutual consent.

- Committees and follow‑up: Both sides agreed to form joint committees on salary, on HD Karnes/virtual‑school issues, and on elementary scheduling to gather further information and recommend next steps.

Items left unresolved or modified

- HD Karnes (alternative school) and virtual‑school scheduling: The board pressed for a schedule built around 60‑minute planning periods tied to 60‑minute class periods at the alternative school and for a temporary pilot/sunset approach; the union said there is insufficient operational data to lock language into the negotiated agreement and asked to gather one year's implementation data before making permanent changes. The board indicated it will take the matter back to the Board of Education for further discussion; negotiators left the item unresolved.

- Planning time & "within the student contact day": The union withdrew broader proposed changes to expand the "within the student contact day" requirement to additional levels and instead sought targeted language to protect staff who have student contact but nontraditional schedules (for example, counselors or special education staff). The parties agreed to continue work on precise language through the joint committees rather than adopt new contract language immediately.

- Early resignation / liquidated damages: The union declined the board's proposal to increase liquidated damages and sought to retain the current contract rate; negotiators did not adopt the board's higher figures. (Union speakers referenced the current liquidation amount in discussion as $500 for certain cases.)

Safety and adverse events

Union representatives framed staff safety as an ongoing concern and urged specific written protections so that staff who are physically harmed while performing job duties are not required to rely on personal leave. The board representatives acknowledged the concern and agreed to continue working with the union to craft language that addresses safety incidents; the union withdrew some formal safety proposals at the table but urged further collaborative work.

Operational details and clarifications recorded in the talks

- Virtual program caps discussed by district staff for the coming year: 20 elementary virtual students and 40 secondary virtual students as a pilot (as described in district planning remarks). The district described a model in which elementary virtual support would be provided by a half‑day released staff member (office hours plus a regular planning period) and secondary virtual students would be supported through scheduled office hours and an education platform rather than daily live lessons.

- Planning time proposals discussed: the district advocated a 60‑minute planning period for staff assigned to the alternative/virtual models; the union flagged risks that 60 minutes could fragment existing planning time and increase class sizes unless staffing levels change.

Meeting process and next steps

At the close of the session negotiators said they had completed agreements on liquidated‑damages language (remain at current contract levels), contract day and leave with the modifications described above, and adverse event language with the three‑workday review and mutual‑consent extension. The remaining open item is the HD Karnes/virtual program language; the board will refer that item to the Board of Education for further consideration and the joint committee will collect implementation data during the coming school year.

Ending note

Both sides recorded the outcomes of the session and agreed to convene joint committees to refine language and monitor any pilot implementation. The unresolved HD Karnes/virtual scheduling item will return to the board and to the committees for additional review.