Gazette-Times reporter

Increased funding at the state and local levels has allowed the Corvallis School District to hire 80 new teachers for the coming school year, but they do not know yet what their salaries or benefits will be.

Contract negotiations between the Corvallis Education Association and the school district have been under way since February. The previous agreement expired in June. After breaking for the summer, representatives from both the school district and the teachers' union have expressed optimism about agreeing on a contract soon.

"We're cautiously optimistic," district spokeswoman Jeanne Holmes said. "We're just rolling up our sleeves and getting it done."

Neither side has cited any major points of contention, and talks have mostly focused on the basics: salaries, raises and benefits. Negotiations are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and are open to the public, though caucus sessions that will occur throughout the day are not public.

The union is concerned that many teachers in the district cannot afford to live in town, said Eneke Warnke, Corvallis Education Association president. The union is hoping for salary increases that will allow more teachers to buy homes in Corvallis.

"Teachers accepted very small increases in this last contract," Warnke said. "Teachers recognized that funding was unstable."

The union has calculated that a teacher who begins his or her career in Corvallis at the low end of the pay scale - currently $31,768 to start - would have to teach in the district for almost 12 years before he could afford a $350,000 home, Warnke said.

"They can't afford to live here, vote here, have kids in school here," she said. "I don't want it to take a decade for teachers to live here and be a part of the community."

Warnke pointed out that a total of 2.85 percent cost of living increases since the 2003-2004 school year has not kept up with the federal Consumer Price Index.

"Were behind the Consumer Price Index 5.5 percent now," Warnke said.

One glitch in negotiations is that neither side has a clue as to what medical insurance premiums are going to look like in coming years.

Recent legislation requiring districts to enroll teachers in a statewide insurance pool will go into effect in October 2008. It is unknown how this will affect rates. The teachers' union thinks it will lower rates, but the district believes rates will go up.

"We don't know what that's going to cost, so it's kind of a big unknown," Warnke said. "It leaves us in limbo."

In the last few years, out of pocket medical benefit premiums for teachers has ranged from $7 to $41 per month for a full time employee on the "preferred plan." In 2006-2007 teachers paid nothing out of pocket for premiums.

"Insurance is not one of our big sticky issues," Warnke said. "We've been able to work with the district really well to have a good insurance program."

OFFERS on the Table

Basic pay increases

CEA proposal:

First year n 4 percent

Second year n 4 percent

Third year n 3.75 percent

District proposal:

First year n 2.1 percent

Second year n up to 3 percent depending on Consumer Price Index

Third year n up to 3 percent depending on Consumer Price Index

Raises based on experience

CEA proposal n 4 percent

District proposal n 3.75 percent