Detailed Analysis of Port Huron's Teacher Contract

The following is a detailed analysis of the current Port Huron Area School District that covers teachers as well as a few other employee groups. The district employs about 665 teachers and enrolls 10,300 students. Of its $106 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 12 "steps" on the schedule, meaning teachers get automatic pay raises of between 3 and 10 percent for their first 12 years in the district.
In addition to step increases, the entire salary schedule increases by 2 percent each year so every teacher gets a 2 percent raise automatically.
58 percent of teachers have graduate degrees and 80 percent have more than 5 years experience, meaning the vast majority of teachers' base salary is between $57,579 and $71,972.
The Michigan Department of Education reported the average teacher salary in Saline in 2008-09 was $66,604.

Fringe Benefits

District pays $13,961 annually for teacher health insurance premiums, regardless of whether they enroll in an individual, two-person or family plan.
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 ($15,496 annual premium): $10/$20 RX co-pay, no deductible
MESSA Choices I ($13,961 annual premium): $10/$20 Rx co-pay, no deductible.
The district also provides at no cost to teachers a $45,000 life insurance policy, long-term disability, dental and vision 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 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 $71,972 (final M.A. step): $32,387.40 (for most retirees, this amount increases by 3 percent every year)

Bonus Pay for Additional Duties or Certifications

Union president is granted full release time from teaching duties without loss of pay, seniority or benefits.
Hourly pay of $32.47 for all of the following assignments:
- School dances
- Music events
- Athletic contests
- Substitute teaching
- Evening school
- Summer school
- Drivers' training
School improvement chair: $2,135
30 cents per mile for all travel as required during work day
$60 reimbursement for the cost of getting fingerprinted
Per diem for additional days of work = annual salary/contractual work days ($360 per day based on average teacher salary)

Leave/Sick Time

Leave days: 13.5 per year (1.5 per month)
240 leave days may be accumulated in a personal leave bank
13.5 personal leave days per year, approved for the following purposes:
- Personal illness: 5 days maximum without doctor's note
- Funeral: 1-5 days, depending on who died
- Routine medical attention: 1 day
- Graduation: 1-3 days
- Required appearance (subpoenas, income tax investigation, etc.): varies
- Household emergency: 1 day
- Immediate family illness: 1 day
- Service on government boards: 6 days
Personal leave days may be accumulated up to 240 in a personal leave bank
Short-term professional leaves of absence (do not count against personal leave bank):
- Conferences
- Meetings
- Workshops
- Seminars
- Travel expenses paid by district
Approved long-term leave time:
- President or vice-president of MEA or NEA: 2 years
- Maternity: 1 year
- Adoption: 1 year
- Personal leave: 1 year, no stipulations
- Advanced study: 1 year
- Educational travel time: 1 year
- Foreign teacher exchange leave: 1 year
- Extended emergency: remaining school year
- Military duty: varies
- Peace Corps: varies
- Political office: varies
- Assignment with government agency: varies
Union gets 85 personal leave days to conduct union business

Work Schedule/Environment

185 contractual work days
The teacher-pupil ratio must be 1/21.56
Teacher receive compensatory time off for any evening parent-teacher conferences or "open houses"
Weekly teaching loads:
- Secondary: 25 teaching periods, 5 preparatory periods
- Elementary: guaranteed 225 minutes of preparation time
Maximum class sizes:
- Elementary: 30
- Middle school: 31
- High school: 32

Extra Curricular Activities Compensation

High school athletics:
- Athletic director: $5,337
- Football and basketball:
- Hockey, volleyball and wrestling:
- Head coach: $6,405
  - Assistants: $4,270
  - 9th grade coach: $3,202
- Soccer, track, baseball and softball:
- Head coach: $5,337
  - Assistants: $4,270
  - 9th grade coach: $2,135-$3,202
- Cross country and competitive cheerleading:
  - Head coach: $3,202
- Cheerleading (sideline):
  - Varsity: $2,135
  - Junior varsity: $1,601
  - 9th grade: $1,067

Middle school athletics:
- Football, basketball, track, softball, volleyball, soccer and cheerleading:
- Tennis:
  - Head coach: $1,601

High school extracurricular:
- Band: $5,337
- Chorus: $4,270
- Intramurals: $3,736
- Drama: $3,202
- Drill team: $2,668
- National Honor Society: $2,135
- Quiz bowl: $2,135
- Yearbook: $2,135
- Senior class sponsor: $2,135
- Student council: $2,135
- Junior class sponsor: $1,067
- Sophomore class sponsor: $1,067
- Freshman class sponsor: $1,067

Middle school extracurricular:
- Intramurals: $3,736
- Yearbook: $2,135
- Band: $2,135
- Student council: $2,135
- Chorus: $1,601
- Junior National Honor Society: $1,067
- Quiz bowl: $1,067
- Drill team: $1,067
- Drama: $1,067
- Service squad: $533

City safety patrol: $1,601
Audio visual coordinator: $1,601
Library: $1,067
Service squad: $800
Student council: $800
Township bus patrol: $533
Music organization: $533