Board response to TESPA 12/18/23
Thank you to the Tuscola Education Support Professional Association (TESPA) members who attended the meeting tonight. In order for fair negotiations to continue, the Board of Education and Superintendent are willing to continue the negotiation process and are still willing to negotiate privately. Our last email asking for dates to meet with the TESPA committee proves this commitment.
However, since TESPA has decided to utilize the media to negotiate the contract, we would like some facts to come to light from the school district’s perception. The article in The County Chronicle stated we rescinded the district contribution. When negotiating with the Teachers Association last year about insurance, it was stated that the board and superintendent understood that switching insurances in December and not preparing for a higher deductible could be hard for some employees. The board decided to contribute what all employees were paying for their own insurance in 2021-2022 through Egyptian Trust to each member's insurance. It was also stated that this would be a one-year benefit, and then it would be bargained. The Board and Superintendent did not rescind the insurance benefit; we are simply bargaining.
TESPA fails to state to the public that the Teacher’s Association(TEA) agreed to have their premium paid for at 100% by the board for the next two years. The board and TEA voted on and signed this MOU in November. This is the same benefit we offered TESPA. This year, our insurance increased by 12%, costing our district $94,548. If it increases by 52% next year, as one area school’s insurance did, the board, not the employee, has to pick up the entire increase of the premium. Before this contract, the board never picked up the entire premium in the contract with TEA.
The insurance company we were with, Egyptian Trust, was a company that was not able to pay its bills. The Board of Education had to pay an extra payment or put that payment back on our employees while a member of the Egyptian Trust. The board and superintendent did not feel staying with a sinking ship was beneficial. The board also had to pay an additional payment to get off the sinking ship. We had a few months to get stable insurance. We found insurance through the Illinois Educators Risk Management Program. This allowed the district to look for lower premiums. As a district, we were looking at something cost-efficient so that our employees would not have to pay much toward or any toward their premiums.
TESPA states we can afford to pay the premium and more for TESPA members. We want to remind everyone that there are not only TESPA members but also TEA members and employees who are not part of a union. The administration and every employee, Union or non-union, receive the same benefits when comes to health insurance. If we were to pay the 95 employees who take the insurance above the 100% premium, that would cost the taxpayers of Tuscola an additional $84,736 for 12 months. This would be on top of the insurance increase of $94,548. If you continue to do this year after year, you eventually can’t afford to pay 100% of the premium for employees. Especially when Matt Seaton, the Illinois State Board of Education’s chief financial officer, states to school districts, “As we think about our budget for the next several years, I think we’re going to be thinking in terms of a conservative budget.” I am the only board member who was on the board when we had four days of cash on hand. I do not want to see us return to four days of cash on hand.
As far as bonuses are concerned, because the paraprofessionals formed TESPA, all compensation, including bonuses, are mandatory subjects of bargaining – the board couldn’t unilaterally give a bonus to TESPA without bargaining. During the negotiations, TESPA did not introduce any language that mentioned anything about a bonus structure. The Superintendent reminded the TESPA members that a bonus would not be given because it was not part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. TESPA then reached out and wanted to bargain. Tuscola CUSD # 301 does not feel that opening a contract up, once agreed upon, is in the best interest of the district or its taxpayers. This is a precedent that was evident in 2019 when the TEA wanted to open the contract up to bargain a retirement incentive. The Board and Superintendent declined to open the contract up until the next negotiations.
The Board of Education and its Administration appreciate TESPA and its members. We wanted to make sure all facts were in the open for the public, and hopefully, The County Chronicle would publish since they did not call and ask for the District’s perspective before writing today’s article. We look forward to continuing our insurance talks with TESPA.
As a reminder for all fans attending tonight's Girls Basketball game, we will have some slight changes to our entrance points to the gym.
Tuscola High School is excited for our final stage of renovations that will begin next week. This work will cause a few changes to all home events beginning on Monday, December 18th. If parking in the southwest parking lot, please enter through the doors near the library as the south gym entrance will not be accessible. There will also be no entrance point at the doors on the northwest side of the gym from the staff parking lot. Entrances from the north student parking lot and the front circle drive remain unchanged. The concession stand will be located in our new cafeteria space.
Please note these changes go into effect starting on Monday, December 18th for our Girls Basketball Game vs. Okaw Valley. Tomorrow's home boys basketball game will still utilize our old entrance points.
2nd quarter report cards will be live on Monday 12/18th at 2pm!
Congrats to our Girls Basketball team for their victory over Windsor Stew-Stras. The Warriors move to 9-1 on the season.
Thank you to all who donated to SAM Food Pantry.
Please join us tonight at the Warrior Girls Basketball game to support both the SAM Food Pantry and our student-athletes!
Congrats to Catie Gibson for being named the December Rotary Student of the Month!
Congrats to Coach Hornaday and Coach Garrison for being named the 2023 Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Association Class 1A Coaches of the Year!
TCHS Winter Festival fun!
TCHS would like to thank Santa, Mrs. Claus, and Buddy the Elf for stopping by this afternoon for the Winter Festival.
A huge congratulations to Señora Diaz for being named the News-Gazette Teacher of the Week! Congrats Señora on this very deserving award!!
https://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/education/teacher-of-the-week-lacy-diaz-spanish-tuscola-high-school/article_3edb6195-14ed-5f54-b340-51b339cbfc1b.html
Becky's Buddies Santa Shop was a huge success on Wednesday night. An event of this capacity requires numerous volunteers. A big thank you to all of the students in our school district who volunteered. We had students from North Ward, East Prairie, the High School, and alumni on hand to help! They were hard working, respectful, and great role models for all of the kids that came through the shop last night. A huge shoutout as well to Becky's Buddies for all of the good that they do for so many in our community.
A big congratulations to these students for their All-Conference recognition this Scholastic Bowl season. The Central Illinois Conference recognizes the top 10 students with All-Conference designation based on questions answered correctly during conference matches.
L to R: Brayden Taylor, Blake Taylor, and Braxton Moody.
Congrats to these students who were inducted into Tuscola High School's National Honor Society last night.
Front row L to R: Allison Pettry, Ayla Deleva, Carleigh Kleiss, Ava Boyer, Lia Patterson, Kenna Clodfelder, Ava Rauguth, Olivia Wallace, and Jocelyn Ford.
Back row L to R: Alex Lin, Nathan Klie, Andrew Spillman, Brayden Taylor, Aiden Devlin, David Hornaday, Andrew Bennett, Jackson Burlew, and Thomas Bennett.
Not pictured: Ed Carpenter, Ella Maxfield, JJ Reynolds, and Emily Veach.
They join current members: Nathalie Arroyo, Christopher Atwater, Marissa Boyer, Raeanna Boyer, Alyson Brucker, Alyx Gardner, Catie Gibson, Brayden Gough, Natalie Hasting, Sydney Moss, Addisyn Pettry, Elizabeth Powell, Jordan Quinn, and Mae West.
Key Club had an amazing month of September! Members of Key Club provided 55 hours of community service with specific projects with several community groups including Tuscola Public Library, Douglas County Autism Tribe, and Tuscola Kiwanis Club. TCHS Key Club also raised $200 for UNICEF to be used for early childhood educational programs in Zambia.
Highlighted in the photo are the Key Club Members with the Top Service Hours for September. Natalie Hasting with 7.5 hours, Raeanna Boyer with 9.5 hours, and Olivia Wallace with 8.5 hours.
High School Volleyball raised $384.00 from pink out night and donated it to Sarah Bush Lincoln Foundation!
At today's high school staff meeting, we celebrated Doug Williamson's birthday. You'd have a hard time finding someone as loyal as him.
Thank you to Tuscola's Mi Veracruz for the chips, queso, guacamole, and salsa to help us celebrate.
Happy Birthday Doug!
Thank you to our school board members for their service!
North Ward is looking for a part-time one-on-one paraprofessional. For details please go to https://www.cusd301.org/page/employment
Girls basketball final.
Tuscola: 44
Marshall: 35
Warriors head to Arthur tomorrow night.
