Negotiations
Current situation
There have been 11 meetings to date, beginning last August. The union made its first financial offer on Jan. 22. The current proposals are as follows...
| District proposal | Union proposal |
| Year 1 salary increase: 3.25% (3% on activities schedule) Year 2 salary increase: 4.5% (3% on activities schedule) Year 1 health insurance increase: 3% (no retro payment) Year 2 health insurance increase: 8% Year 2 dental insurance increase: 8% Total package (2 years): 11.70% Range of salary increases over 2 years including steps: 7.75% to 18.15% Average % increase in salary over 2 years, including steps: 10.84% Average per-teacher increase over 2 years including salary and benefits: $12,119 |
Year 1 salary increase: 6% Year 2 salary increase: 6.3% Year 1 health insurance increase: 8% (no retro payment) Year 2 health insurance increase: 9.5% Year 2 dental insurance increase: 8% Total package (2 years): 16.58% Range of salary increases over 2 years including steps: 12.3% to 22.92% Average % increase in salary over 2 years, including steps: 15.46% Average per-teacher increase over 2 years including salary and benefits: $17,394 |
Language agreements
Tentative agreement has been reached on 14 language items, including:
- Additional pay ($2,000) for related service providers (psychologists, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists with a “specialist” or “doctoral” degree.
- Reimbursement for licensure fees for any non-PELSB license that the district requires a teacher to obtain.
- The addition of 5 days of paternity leave.
- Additional pay for ECSE birth-to-3 teachers during the summer.
- The addition of a step on the ECFE salary schedule.
- Additional pay for ECFE teachers for weekend work.
- An increase of $100 per year in 403b matching payments beginning 24-25.
- Additional pay for coaches/advisors based on post-season success.
- An increase in payouts for personal leave.
- Other minor contract clarifications.
One language item is still under discussion:
- A district proposal to increase insurance eligibility from 25 to 30 hours per week.
Based on the current state funding model, acceptance of the union’s current proposal would necessitate budget cuts. This could impact staffing levels, leading to increased class sizes and reduced programming available to students. These staff cuts would exceed the 31 positions currently slated for reduction due to declining enrollment and the expiration of federal pandemic relief funds (see further explanation in the FAQs below).
A settlement on the district’s current offer would provide substantial increases in pay and insurance coverage for staff without requiring budget reductions in other areas. The 31 positions mentioned above would still be reduced, since this is a “right-sizing” of the teaching staff to match lower student enrollment.
| District's first proposal | Union's first proposal |
| Year 1 salary increase: 3.5% Year 2 salary increase: 3% Year 1 insurance increase: 0% Year 2 insurance increase: 7.5% Total package (2 yrs): 10.21% Average per-teacher increase over two years including salary and benefits: $10,550 |
Year 1 salary increase: 9% Year 2 salary increase: 9% Year 1 insurance contribution increase: 8% Year 2 insurance contribution increase: 9.5% Total package (2 yrs): 21.62% Average per-teacher increase over two years including salary and benefits: $22,950 |
| District's current proposal | Union's current proposal |
| Yr 1 min/max salary: $45,225 - $93,994 Avg. 1.0 FTE salary: $75,471 Yr 2 min/max salary: $47,260 - $98,223 Avg. 1.0 FTE salary: $79,984 Yr 1 Insurance District Contribution: $824 single/month $1,612 family/month Dental = $940/yr Yr 2 Insurance District Contribution: $890 single/month $1,741 family/month Dental = $1,015/yr |
Yr 1 min/max salary: $46,429 - $96,497 Avg. 1.0 FTE salary: $77,481 Yr 2 min/max salary: $49,354 - $102,576 Avg. 1.0 FTE salary: $83,529 Yr 1 insurance district contribution: $864 single/month $1,690 family/month Dental = $940/yr Yr 2 insurance district contribution: $940 single/month $1,851 family/month Dental = $1,015/yr |
Meeting timeline to date
First language proposal presented by teacher union
First financial proposal presented by teacher union
Teacher union announces intention to file for mediation services
Frequently asked questions
Under the current BHM contract, teacher pay ranges from $43,801 to $91,035. The average full-time teacher salary is $71,975.
Teachers automatically earn a pay raise after each year of service, called a “step.” For new education or training milestones, such as earning a master’s degree, they move over into a higher paying “lane” and continue earning step increases each year.
Under the district’s current proposal, teacher pay ranges would increase to $45,225-$93,994 for 2023-24 and $47,260-$98,223 for 2024-25.
Teachers are currently working under the 2021-23 contract, which continues in full effect until agreement is reached on a new contract. It is not unusual for negotiations to occur after the end of a contract cycle, and teachers receive back pay for additional time worked under the old contract after the new contract is settled.
The union has requested mediation services provided by the State of Minnesota. The Bureau of Mediation Services provides a neutral facilitator to help find common grounds for agreement to work towards a settlement. The first mediation session with the Bureau of Mediation Services is scheduled for April 18.
The district will reduce 20 teaching positions for the 2024-25 school year, and another 11 staff positions for 2025-26 based on a decline of 572 students since 2019 and the end of federal pandemic relief funding. The district has used that federal funding to maintain teaching staff without reductions before now.
The district is currently experiencing a decline in enrollment. Contributing factors include the COVID-19 pandemic, a drop in Wright County birth rates, and the addition of other educational options to the community.
County birth rates recently returned to pre-pandemic levels, and enrollment is expected to begin increasing again after the 2027-28 school year.
