The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education has approved Contracts and/or Letters of Assignment, along with the 2011-2012 Master Contract with the certified bargaining unit. The action came during a special session held at Noon today (Thursday), in the Middle School Board Room.

Superintendent Mike Amstein (am’stine) said by their calculations, the settlement amounts to a 3.29-percent package increase for the certified staff, although the bargaining unit sees it as a 3.5-percentage increase. In any event, while there are still some parts of the language of the contract which still need to be “tweaked,“ according to Amstein, both sides agreed to the negotiated settlement, and he recommended approval.

The basic settlement, he says, calls for a $400 increase on the base salary, which would establish the base at $27,300. That amount will also be used to generate the Teacher Salary Supplement — or, T-S-S – monies. 95-percent of the T.S.S. money will be distributed throughout the 2011-2012 school year, with 5% set aside to address any changes, with the remainder to be paid out in last check of the contract year.”

The agreement also means a change in the amount the district and certified staff will pay out toward insurance and Tax Sheltered Annuities (TSA’s).The district will increase raise the amount paid to those included in the family plan from 50-to $100 per month, and those with a TSA from 50-to $100 per month, as well.

The package amounts to a $500 increase in cost to the district, per certified employee. He says regardless of what the package percentage amounts to, the numbers involved speak for themselves.

The board established the issuance date for the contracts as May 24th, and the return date as June 14th. Last week, the Atlantic Board of Education approved the 2011-2012 Master Contract with the non-certified staff’s bargaining unit. Superintendent Mike Amstein said the package included a 39-cent per hour raise.

Last week, the Atlantic Board of Education approved the 2011-2012 Master Contract with the non-certified staff’s bargaining unit. Superintendent Mike Amstein said the package includes a 39-cent per hour raise.