The Harlan Community School Board, Monday, received the initial bargaining proposal from the Harlan Education Association (HEA), which represents the district’s teachers and staff. In a regular board meeting, Brian Kaster, representative of the HEA said they are asking for a 6.92% increase in salary for the staff at the Harlan Community School District. The meeting was just the first of what are usually several meetings between the board and the association. The school board did not make a counter offer, and future discussions will be held in closed session.

In other business, the school board held a public hearing with regard to the High School Gym Air Handler. The district is looking at replacing the air conditioning unit in the High School Gymnasium and held the hearing as required by Iowa Code, because the district will be soliciting bids for a project or projects. Having received no written or spoken comments on the matter, the board approved the preliminary plans for the air handler and moved to request bids for the project.

The board is expected to receive bids and finalize the project at a school board meeting in March. The school district will also be saying goodbye to eight teachers who qualified for early retirement. Superintendent Justin Wagner said teachers taking early retirement had to meet certain qualifications. “They have to be in the district ten years and be 55 years old. Basically that’s the IPERS eligibility age for them. With this group of eight, we have over 260 years of experience walking out the door.”

Wagner discussed the vacancies later in the meeting and said the district has already seen interest, and candidates applying for the positions. In one of the final motions, it was approved to hold a public hearing at the next Harlan Community School Board meeting February 24^th, with regard to the 2014-2015 school calendar.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)