There was applause and there was relief, and it is definitely a step in the right direction, said Churubusco Teachers Association president Terry McManama after final approval was given to the teachers’ contract at Monday night’s school board meeting.

But already teachers are planning ahead for negotiations when this contract expires – in 2010.

Typically, negotiations begin the year before the contract expires, which means SGCS Corporation could be looking at less than a year before having to begin negotiations all over again.

“There is a large sense of relief,” McManama said. “But we will continue to work and take steps forward. Getting and maintaining a good insurance package is still a big issue.”

Teachers have been working without a contract after negotiations stalled and mediation efforts ground to a halt two years ago.

One teacher, who did not wish to be identified, said the settlement goes a long way toward easing some of the tension that had permeated the halls of Churubusco schools. But many remain wary of the obstacles that were created between the two sides in the first place, the teacher said.

One of the stumbling blocks was the health insurance benefit package offered to teachers, McManama said.

Teachers’ family coverage went from 46 percent being covered by the school corporation to 63 percent with the new contract, he said. “It meant a difference of $2,400 annually for family coverage.”

We wanted 70 percent, because we are still behind compared to what other school corporations offer their teachers,” McManama added.

Both sides have agreed to share any increases in health care coverage. “If it goes up five percent, then we will pay 2.5 percent and the corporation will pay 2.5 percent,” McManama said.

Other changes to the contract included 20 different language changes, a change to the way teachers’ salaries are determined for extra-curricular activities and salary increases for staff.

The increases vary according to seniority, but are retroactive for one year  – to the 2007-08 salary schedule, McManama said.

“We gave up one year of back pay as part of the negotiations,” he said.

In other school board business Monday night:

• Fall coaches were approved as follows:
• Boys/girls cross country - Head coach, lay coach, Jon Pelz.
• Middle school cross country – Head coach and lay coach, Amanda Dice; volunteer coach and lay coach, Tara Dice.
• Boys tennis – Head coach, Ben Jagger.
• Volleyball – Head coach and lay coach, Mark Bankson; Asst. coach, Breann Brown; JV coach and lay coach, Chris Holloway; freshman coach and lay coach, Megan Haines.
• MS volleyball – Lay coaches: Eighth grade, Kim Fulkerson; seventh grade, Kirsten Waterman; sixth grade, Mary Huelsenbeck.
• Football – Head coach, Lee Etzler; assistant coaches, Zach Dock and Todd Lortie; assistant and lay coaches, John Schmidt and Paul Sade.
• MS football – Head coach, Nate Wright; assistant and lay coaches, Ed Shearer, Duane Murphy, Mike Adams and John Petrie.
• The school accepted a $30,082 state assessment grant. Nancy Becker, school psychologist, said the grant monies will be used as reassessment tools to track students’ progress. The grant will also pay for training, teacher materials, scoring and some curriculum, Becker said. “This is a competitive grant,” Becker said. “and not that many schools received this  grant.” Becker said the state is now recommending that schools adopt an assessment plan for tracking students, but noted that recommendation will become a mandate in four years.
• A grant of $20,000 for the Indiana Early Intervention Program also was accepted.
• Personnel changes were approved as follows:
• Resignations: Greg Platt, elementary teacher, and Jamison Wilkins, high school teacher.
• Reassignments: Todd Lortie, transferring to CHS math, replacing Jamison Wilkins; Jennifer Galloway Bodnar, transferring to CMS math, replacing Todd Lortie.
• A family leave request for David Shearer, elementary counselor, was granted from Aug. 22-Oct. 4.
• New hires approved included: Jason Schwiebert, CHS science teacher; Robert Tomlinson, CES fifth grade teacher; Phillip Brackmann, CHS math teacher; and Erica Allen, CES extended kindergarten teacher.
• Claims  paid were as follows: regular, $95,124; prepaid, $9,765; payroll, $72,618; total, $177,507.
• In an earlier session prior to the regular meeting, the board interviewed two candidates to fill a board seat after board member Brandon Almas resigned to pursue his college education and a career in law. The decision will be announced at the next board.

Board meetings are normally held on the first and third Monday of each month, but due to the Labor Day holiday, the next meeting will be Tuesday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m.

From left, teachers Mark Grove, Terry McManama, Liz Schemm, Deb Thomas and Mark Cheshire mingle after a school board meeting Monday during which the teacher contract was approved.