A contract settlement will impact the school district

When discussing the upcoming budget cutting the New Prague School Board will begin in the weeks to come, some might feel Matt Goldade ought not have noted the plainly obvious – the more costly the contract with the district’s unionized teachers, the larger the amount the district will have to cut.

Some might feel the comment set up the union as the bad guys in that the larger the settlement it negotiates, the larger the cut. Such a notion overlooks the district’s responsibility in the negotiations as well as the premise teachers, like other employees public and private, deserve a raise, especially in times of inflation and rising cost of insurance. The two sides negotiate behind closed doors. The school board will approve the final contract after the contract is ratified by the union’s membership.

School districts and local teachers’ unions have reportedly been turning to mediators to help navigate their way through the delicate process. Even when two sides historically work welltogether, if an outside mediator can bring the two sides together, that sounds like time and money well spent. For at the end of the day, the union and school board must continue to co-exist harmoniously. Long-term, an acrimonious relationship between the union and school board is not in either side’s best interest.

According to online Education Minnesota 2021-2023 labeled as unofficial, the New Prague school board and the union representing the district’s teachers agreed to a 1 percent wage increase in the first year of the agreement and a 3 percent increase in the second year. The contract also calls for a 5 percent increase in health insurance coverage by the district in the fist year and 6 percent the second year.

The union agreements matter. During last year’s $3 million budget adjustment, the district says 81 percent of what it spends is on wages and benefits for staff. You can cut spending on several other things without equaling what is spent on staff. In a human resources intensive business, you can’t cut staff without eventually impacting the core function of what schools do, educate children. Hopefully, the impact of cutting will be less intensive on the elementary levels. In the wake of a failed levy referendum, how do you cut a to-this-point unpublished amount of money without impacting the core function of a school?

The obvious targets will include activities. But most folks don’t seem to realize the activities budget is a relatively small piece of the pie. It’s about 3.9 percent of the general fund, excluding transportation to and from events. Yes, the district could ask for more in fees or contributions from associations, but that will be a small amount. Cuts to administration and out-sourcing of some services and functions are suggestions already offered. Keep in mind New Prague already spends less on administration than area districts and comparable districts in the region. They will all be considered during an audit of district functions.

And remember, if a student leaves NP Schools because of cuts, the state aid goes with the student. It all amounts to a really tough balancing act. If you have children in NP schools, please pay attention. This is important stuff. If you don’t have children in the district yet, or any longer, please pay attention. This process will impact your community.

New Prague needs to grow. While nobody gets a blank check, the quality of the education the district provides matters. A good school district and reasonable taxes will draw people to the community