The following is a detailed analysis of the current Saline Area Schools union contract that covers teachers as well as a few other employee groups. The district employs about 326 teachers and enrolls 5,400 students. Of its $53 million operating budget, about 70 percent goes toward paying employees working under this contract.
Table of Contents:
Salary Schedule
Fringe Benefits
Pension and Retirement Benefits
Bonus Pay for Additional Duties or Certification
Leave/Sick Time
Work Schedule/Environment
Extra Curricular Activities Compensation
Salary Schedule
- Base salaries are determined strictly by "steps," which use a matrix of years experience and graduate credit hours and degrees.
- There are 10 "steps" on the schedule, so teachers get automatic pay raises (4-7 percent) for their first 10 years in the district.
- In addition to step increases, the entire salary schedule increases by 2.5 percent each year.
- Teachers also receive longevity payments after achieving 15, 20 and 25 years of employment in the district. Based on the current salary schedule these would amount to $3,954, $7,909 and $11,863, respectively, for teachers with a Masters' degree.
- 65 percent of teachers have graduate degrees and 75 percent have more than 5 years experience, meaning the vast majority of teachers' base salary is between $63,331 and $83,721.
- The Michigan Department of Education reported the average teacher salary in Saline in 2007-08 was $68,615.
Fringe Benefits
- District pays $13,634 for teacher health insurance family premiums.
- Teachers contribute nothing to the cost of the premium.
- Teachers electing to waive health insurance receive an annual stipend of $3,100.
- The average family premium plan in Michigan costs $11,300.
- Health insurance plan: MESSA Choices II PAK A with $10/$20 RX card and Health Reimbursement Account ($350 per year per teacher)
- The district also provides at no cost to teachers a $25,000 life insurance policy, dental and vision.
Pension and Retirement Benefits
- District pays $1,200 into a tax sheltered annuity annually for each teacher with more than 15 years experience and $600 for those with less than 15 years.
- Every teacher participates in the state-run Michigan Public School Employee Retirement System, a defined-benefit lifetime pension system
- Pension calculation: highest 3-year average compensation X 1.5 percent X years of service
- Retirement eligibility: 30 years of service at age 46 or 15 years of service at age 55
- Teacher contribution: 5.4 percent of salary
- After 55, subsidized medical, dental and vision insurance for life (employees never contribute more than 18 percent of premiums)
- Annual pension based on 30 years experience in Saline Area Schools with base salary of $79,089 (final M.A. step): $35,590.05
- District pays up to $3,000 as a severance package based on unused sick days.
- Teachers may also qualify for a $7,000 supplemental retirement stipend.
Bonus Pay for Additional Duties or Certification
- Curriculum department chairpersons (39 total): Stipend between 1 and 4.5 percent, based on number of teachers in department. Based on the average teacher salary, this amounts to anywhere between $686 and $3,088.
-
Teacher mentor program: $2,021 over two years
- Assistants: $606 per year
- Transition mentor: $3,200 per year for three years
- $700 per year per teacher may be used for "teacher improvement," like conferences, workshops and conventions. Each teachers gets two "improvement days" per year.
- IRS rates for mileage driven between school buildings and on field trips
- Any summer employment: $24.32/hr
- Career Technical Education Department certification: $1,000 stipend
Leave/Sick Time
- 2 personal days per year (paid $100 per unused day at the end of the year)
- 3 "professional days" per year for workshops, conferences and conventions, including MEA or NEA-sponsored events.
-
Sick leave days per year (accumulated without
limit):
- 1-10 years experience: 10
- 11-20 years experience: 15
- 21 or more years experience: 20
-
Sick leave may be used for:
- Illness
- Funerals
- Bereavement
- Immediate family member illness
- Religious observance (3 days max)
-
Unpaid leaves of absence (teacher may return to
same position):
- Exchange/work programs
- Campaigning or serving in public office
- Serving as president of NEA, MEA or Washtenaw County Education Association
- Sabbatical leave: one year stints with 50 percent of salary
- Saline teachers union president released from half of classroom duties with pay
Work Schedule/Environment
- 183 work days
- Work hours per day: 7.5 (must be in building 15 minutes before start and end of class)
- Uninterrupted lunch period: 30 minutes
- Hours per work year: 1,373
- U.S. average hours per work year: 1,792
- No more than 300 minutes of instructional time per week
Extra Curricular Activities Compensation
-
Coaching (based on experience)
- Baseball, softball, football, basketball, wrestling and volleyball:
- Head coach: $3,745-$9,719
- Varsity assistant: $2,996-$7,775
- Junior varsity assistant: $2,809-$7,289
- Freshman: $2,434-$6,317
- Middle school: $2,060-$5,345
- Cross
country, track, soccer, swimming and gymnastics:
- Head coach: $3,304-$8,576
- Varsity assistant: $2,643-$6,860
- Junior varsity assistant: $2,478-$6,432
- Freshman: $2,148-$5,574
- Middle school: $1,817-$4,716
- Tennis,
golf and cheerleading:
- Head coach: $2,864-$7,432
- Varsity assistant: $2,291-$5,946
- Junior varsity assistant: $2,148-$5,574
- Freshman: $1,861-$4,831
- Middle school: $1,575-$4,087
- Music and Fine Arts (pay based on individual's
base salary)
- Music coordinator: 3.69%
- H.S. band director: 4.61%
- H.S. orchestra: 4.61%
- H.S. choir: 4.61%
- H.S. jazz band: 4.61%
- 7th grade band director: 1.845%
- 8th grad band director: 1.845%
- 7th grade orchestra: 1.845%
- 8th grade orchestra: 1.845%
- 7th grade choir: 1.845%
- 8th grade choir: 1.845%
- Marching band:
- Director: 11.06%
- Assistants (3 total): 8.3%
- Drill instructor (2 total): 5.53%
- Percussion instructor: 6.45%
- Color guard instructor: 2.76%
- 6th grade band director, orchestra and choir: 0.92% each
- 5th grade band director, orchestra and choir: 0.92% each
- Elementary band, orchestra and choir: 0.92% each
- Alla Breve (5th-8th grades): 3.69%
- Miscellaneous Extra Duties
- Art shows: $421
- Drama club: $1,518
- Musical
- Director: $2,951
- Orchestra: $2,108
- Vocal: $2,108
- Choreographer: $1,265
- Pep band: $2,319
- Play director: $1,897
- High school newspaper/yearbook: $4,900
- Business Professionals of America: $1,602
- Elementary camp program (each teacher and director): $421
- 9th and 10th grade class sponsors: $1,518
- 11th and 12th grad class sponsors: $2,529
- Close-up Washington trip: $421
- Cosmetology business operations: $1,560
- Debate: $1,518
- DECA: $2,108
- FFA sponsor: $2,108
- FCCLA sponsor: $2,740
- Future problem solving club: $1,518
- German club: $1,518
- Graduation: $2,108
- Honor Roll: $1,054
- Honor Society: $2,740
- Link crew (8 positions): $421
- Middle school math counts: $1,518
- Model U.N. club: $1,518
- NCA
Chair:
- High school: $2,951
- Middle school: $2,108
- Elementary: $1,265
- Middle school newspaper: $1,518
- Quiz Bowl: $1,518
- SADD: $2,319
- Safety patrol: $1,686
- Science Olympiad: $1,518
- M.S. science club: $1,518
- M.S. science fair: $1,518
- Elementary science fair: $421
- STAND: $2,319
- Student
council:
- High school: $2,108
- Middle school: $1,518
- Elementary: $421
- TNT business operations: $1,560
- Toronto trip (each teacher): $421
- 9th grade transition coordinator: $1,518
- VICA sponsor (each section): $843
- Video announcement club: $1,518
- M.S. yearbook: $1,265
- M.S. photographer: $1,265
- Writer's Ink: $1,518
