Mantua – The Crestwood Board of Education voted June 27 in favor of extending the Master Agreement with the Crestwood Education Association (CEA), which freezes teacher base salaries for both 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 school years, and freezes step increases for the 2012-2013 school year.
“Reaching this agreement was an important step in our efforts to keep the district solvent through 2013,” said Joe Iacano, superintendent of Crestwood Local Schools. “I appreciate our teachers honoring the needs of our students and their willingness to work within the difficult budget constraints currently presented to us.”
Changes were also made regarding highly qualified status, alternative strategies for evaluation and duration of the agreement. This Master Agreement will be in effect from June 29, 2011 through June 30, 2013.
“We are committed to our students and being a part of the solution,” said Wendy Benton, CEA president. “As the negotiating process advanced, our initiative of the two-year base salary freeze was accepted, and we worked together from there to get the contract finalized.”
At its June 27 meeting, the Crestwood Board of Education also approved a new contract for the Ohio Association of Public School Employees (OAPSE), which included a base salary freeze for two years and increased employees’ contributions for medical and prescription insurance.
OAPSE employees include bus drivers and mechanics, clerical workers, custodians, educational aides, special education aides, library aides and food service workers.
During the next two years, Crestwood Local Schools will lose approximately $1.75 million in state funding. The district has contained costs through non-personnel reductions totaling nearly $300,000 and will save $500,000 after refinancing the bonds on Crestwood Primary Elementary and Intermediate School. The district will also share its food service director, Jennifer Bujak-Hirsch, with Ravenna City Schools saving each district about $20,000 annually.
