District proposes step-in-lane pay plan, 7%/7%/6% increases and added on-site work time

Ithaca School District officials presented a written counterproposal to the Ithaca Teachers Association (ITA) that would create a step‑in‑lane salary structure and add on‑site "time to work at work" minutes to the teacher workweek.

Superintendent (name not specified) said the proposal represents "the most significant financial investment into teacher salaries that I've been able to find in the history of our school district," and described a three‑year salary plan of 7% in year one, 7% in year two and 6% in year three. The district said its current average teacher salary is $67,329 and that the first 7% increase would bring the average toward $72,000; under the district projection the average could reach around $81,000 by the end of the agreement.

The district described a step‑in‑lane model intended to make the district more competitive with neighboring Central New York districts. Leadership said there would be a floor so no teacher would receive less than roughly a 5% increase in years one through three while individual increases above that floor would vary under the step‑in‑lane algorithm the district proposes.

On scheduling, district negotiators proposed adding approximately 120 minutes per week of on‑site time for teachers, framed as "time to work at work." A suggested pattern was 60 minutes after student dismissal on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and a 60‑minute principal‑led block on Wednesday (the district said the Wednesday block could reduce from 90 to 60 minutes at some buildings). District staff said details about on‑site versus off‑site meetings and impacts on clubs and student activities would be addressed in tentative‑agreement language and implementation plans.

The district also said it reserves the right to extend the elementary day by 30 minutes and the secondary day by 15 minutes in a future year if planning confirms that change is required to meet instructional minutes and align with regional partners. District leaders said planning and bargaining with other groups would determine timing and implementation.

On financing, the superintendent said the district plans to use a mix of reserves and identified efficiencies and that the proposal is structured as a three‑year financial plan; district leaders declined to commit to year four without additional revenue clarity. They described the approach as a deliberate shift in financial philosophy after completing recent audits and fiscal planning.

The parties moved to caucus after the district finished presenting and said they would return to continue negotiation.