Despite concerns about "some pretty healthy wage increases," Decorah School Board approves contracts for several employees

The Decorah School Board has approved issuing contracts for Administrative Assistants, Associates, Bus Drivers, Custodians, food service workers and other support staff members.

The agreement calls for a 4.1 percent overall package increase for the employees.  However, a number of the employees are getting individual pay raises much larger than that.

The agreement calls for adding five more pay steps to the salary schedule.  That will increase the number of pay levels to 25.  While all such employees will get a 54 cents an hour pay raise, several will also get salary step increases--and that will give some covered employees pay raises of over 6 percent.

School board member Brian Petersburg balked at what he called "some pretty healthy wage increases."  But school board member Ron Fadness said the step increases rewarded the experience of support staff members.  School board member Melanie Tietz agreed that the new system "seems more equitable."

However, the school board will appoint a committee next year to do a review of the school district's salary categories.