The following is a detailed analysis of the current Utica Community Schools contract that covers teachers as well as a few other employee groups. The district employs about 1,640 teachers and enrolls 29,200 students. Of its $260 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 11 "steps" on the schedule, meaning teachers get automatic pay raises of between 5 and 8 percent for their first 11 years in the district, except for steps 3 and 11 with yield about a 13 percent pay increase.
- In addition to step increases, the entire salary schedule increases by 1.5 percent each year so every teacher gets at least a 1.5 percent raise automatically.
- 86 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 $63,224 and $88,853.
- The Michigan Department of Education reported the average teacher salary in Utica in 2007-08 was $75,420.
Fringe Benefits
- District pays $15,034 annually for teacher health insurance family premiums.
- Teachers contribute nothing to the cost of the premium, unless they "buy-up" to a higher priced health insurance plan.
- The average family premium plan in Michigan costs $11,300, with employees contributing 22 percent of those costs.
- Health insurance plans:
- MESSA Super Care I ($19,181 annual premium): $100/$200 deductible
- MESSA Choices II ($15,034 annual premium): $200/$400 deductible, $10/$20 Rx and $5 office visit co-pay.
- The district also provides at no cost to teachers a $40,000 life insurance policy, long-term disability, dental and vision insurance.
- Teachers electing not to enroll in either of the offered medical insurance plan get $1,500 annually, $50,000 life insurance policy and dental insurance.
Pension and Retirement Benefits
- Every teacher participates in the state-run Michigan Public School Employee Retirement System, a defined-benefit lifetime pension system
- Pension calculation: highest three-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 UCS with base salary of $88,853 (final M.A. step): $39,983.85
- Accumulated sick leave days fetch $40 per day upon retirement
- Teachers are paid $500 if they announce their retirement by April 1.
- The district will pay teachers the value of one month's health insurance premium if they enroll in a different health insurance plan immediately after retiring.
Bonus Pay for Additional Duties or Certification
- Union president: full release time from classroom duties
- Pay for number of students over class size limit (26-31 depending on grade)
- 1-2 students over: $8 per kid per day
- 3-9 students over: $9.50 per kid per day
- 10 or more students over: $10.50 per kid per day
- Any additional regular school duties beyond contractual work day: $22/hr
- Any additional regular school duties beyond contractual work year: 3 percent of base salary per week ($2,262 per week based on average teacher salary)
- All civic functions: $23/hr
- Secondary teachers may earn an additional 1/6th of their salary by foregoing a prep period and teaching one extra course.
- 17 building chairpersons:
- Secondary: 4 percent of salary ($3,016 based on average salary)
- Elementary: 2.75 percent of salary ($2,074 based on average salary)
- 19 systemwide chairpersons: five release days and 4 percent of salary ($3,016 based on average salary)
- Curriculum Leadership Council (10 teachers appointed by union): two days release time and $400
- Cafeteria supervision: 40 minutes flex time (arrive late or leave early) or $11 per day
- Subbing during preparation period: $22 per period
- "Special services:" $425
- Travel in personal vehicle between schools: I.R.S. mileage rate
Leave/Sick Time
- 11 sick leave days per year on average that may be used for:
- Personal illness
- Family illness
- Bereavement and funerals (no more than 6 days per year)
- Personal days (max of 2-6 per year)
- Business day (1 per year)
- Jury duty
- Accumulated sick leave days earn teachers additional personal days:
- 40 sick leave days = 3 personal days
- 65 sick leave days = 4 personal days
- 100 sick leave days = 5 personal days
- 150 sick leave days = 6 personal days
- Sabbaticals: Half salary for one full year
- 100 days of leave may be used by the union for union business
- Teachers will have 5 days of professional development each year
- Uncompensated leave time (employees return to position after leave time):
- Military duty (as federal law prescribes)
- Physical/mental incapacity (with doctor's recommendation)
- Child care (1 year max)
- "Exploring the possibility of making a 'career change'" (1 year max)
- Public office (1 year max)
- Union negotiators are allowed release time during negotiations
Work Schedule/Environment
- 184 contractual work days (may skip last day if grades are completed)
- Work day schedule:
- Elementary: 7 hours, 5 minutes
- Secondary: 7 hours, 20 minutes
- Average work hours per year: 1,326
- U.S. average hours per work year: 1,792
- Duty-free lunch period:
- Elementary: 40 minutes
- Secondary: 30 minutes
- Preparation periods:
- Elementary: 230 minutes per week
- Secondary: 1 full class period per day
- Faculty meetings: no more than 2 per month
- Evening functions: no more than 4 per year
- Teachers may not be required to move desks, chairs or filing cabinets.
Extra Curricular Activities Compensation
- High school athletics (based on experience):
- Athletic director: $7,750-$11,864
- Football and basketball:
-
- Head coach: $5,167-$7,909
- Assistants: $3,875-$5,932
- Baseball, swimming, track, softball, volleyball, competitive cheerleading, wrestling and soccer:
- Head coach: $4,306-$6,591
- Assistants: $2,538-$4,614
- Cross country, golf, tennis, diving:
- Head coach: $3,014-$4,614
- Assistants: $2,153-$3,295
- Cheerleading (sideline):
- Head coach: $2,583-$3,954
- Assistant: $1,722-$2,636
- 9th grade athletics (based on experience):
-
- Head coach: $3,660-$5,602
- Assistants: $2,583-$3,954
- Baseball, track, softball, volleyball, soccer and competitive cheer:
- Head coach: $3,014-$4,614
- Cheerleading (sideline):
- Head coach: $1,722-$2,636
- Junior high (7th/8th grades) athletics (based on experience):
- Athletic director: $3,875-$5,932
- Football and basketball:
-
- Head coach: $3,229-$4,943
- Assistants: $2,583-$3,954
- Track and volleyball:
- Head coach: $2,583-$3,954
- Assistants: $2,153-$3,295
- Competitive cheer:
- Head coach: $2,153-$3,295
- Cheerleading (sideline)
- High school extracurricular (based on experience):
- Marching band director: $4,306-$6,591
- Instrumental music: $4,306-$6,591
- Debate: $3,121-$4,778
- Yearbook: $2,153-$3,295
- Newspaper: $2,153-$3,295
- Spring musical director: $1,830-$2,801
- All school play director: $1,722-$2,636
- Forensic: $1,722-$2,636
- NCA/SIT chair: $1,722-$2,636
- Summer band director: $1,291-$1,977
- Choral/Vocal ensemble: $1,291-$1,977
- Student council: $1,291-$1,977
- Quiz bowl: $1,184-$1,812
- Choral director: $968-$1,483
- All school play technical director: $861-$1,318
- Spring musical technical director: $861-$1,318
- Science Olympiad: $753-$1,153
- Social Studies Olympiad: $753-$1,153
- Debate/Forensic assistant: $645-$988
- National Honor Society: $645-$988
- VICA: $645-$988
- DECA: $645-$988
- Key Club: $645-$988
- Junior high extracurricular (based on experience):
- Instrumental music director: $1,937-$2,966
- NCA/SIT chair: $1,722-$2,636
- Student council: $1,291-$1,977
- Play director: $861-$1,318
- Forensics: $861-$1,318
- Science Olympiad: $753-$1,153
- Social Studies Olympiad: $753-$1,153
- Yearbook/Newspaper: $645-$988
- Destination Imagination: $645-$988
- National Honor Society: $430-$659
- NCA/SIT chair: $1,722-$2,636
- Academically gifted and talented: $1,291-$1,977
- Science Olympiad: $753-$1,153
- Social Studies Olympiad: $753-$1,153
- Student Council: $645-$988
- Destination Imagination: $645-$988
- Safety Patrol: $538-$823
- Service Squad: $538-$823
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