In a very brief, Special Session Thursday evening, the Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education ratified the 2015-16 tentative agreement with the district’s Non-Certified Employees Association.

Board President Kristy Pellett opened the meeting by acknowledging that during their last, regular meeting on March 15th, they opted not to ratify the agreement at that time because they needed additional information. The information necessary to make the decision was available to the Board for the Special Session.

Board member Phil Hascall, who was vocal during the last meeting about not wanting to ratify the agreement, made the motion to reconsider at Thursday’s meeting. The motion was seconded by Rod Hartwig, and passed unanimously. Superintendent Mike Amstein said the agreement that was tentatively agreed to by the district’s negotiating team will cost the district $87,584. That’s the same amount mentioned during the March 15th meeting, and the same increase in pay for the affected staff.

Amstein says “We feel that [the amount] comes within the range that we had looked at. That it is a 3.26 [percent increase], based on new money and the reductions that we’ve made, and also with no increase to our insurance, we believe that [the] amount is acceptable, and I recommend the tentative agreement with our non-certified folks.”

With no further comments having been made, the Board heard a motion and second to approve the agreement, and it passed without objection.