The Lincoln Board of Education is considering a new contract agreement that could significantly increase compensation for the district’s teachers, as reported by KOLN and Journal Star.
As discussed on Tuesday night, the proposed contract between Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) and the Lincoln Education Association (LEA) suggests a 4.55% increase in the teachers’ compensation package.
The proposed changes include a rise in the base salary by more than $1,000, a move LPS leaders believe will keep the district competitive.
“This is by far the biggest financial package in the time I’ve been with LEA, which is since 1993,” said Deb Rasmussen, LEA president.
Blake Simpson, the LPS director of employee relations, benefits, and personnel, emphasized the importance of the agreement in maintaining competitiveness.
“The things we agreed to are going to help keep us more competitive in a shrinking teacher workforce, in particular, to help carry us through the next few years,” Simpson stated.
Additionally, the agreement proposes a shift in Professional Learning Communities (PLC) time. Instead of school-wide early dismissals for teacher collaboration, PLC time will move to new professional learning days.