Bargaining teams for VPS and VEA met on Tuesday, August 21, 2018. Both teams presented new salary proposals.
VEA’s proposal
| Extra work days | Starting total salary | Top total salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| VEA 2018-19 | $51,750 | $97,200 |
VEA’s proposal represents a 16.2% improvement in the average total compensation in one year.
VEA’s proposal increases district costs by an estimated $23 million over the 2017-18 contract.
VPS’ proposal
| Extra work days | Starting total salary | Top total salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| VPS 2018-19 | 5 | $47,663 | $92,440 |
| VPS 2019-20 | 6 | $50,249 | $97,455 |
| VPS 2020-21 | 6 | $51,254 | $99,404 |
VPS’ proposal represents a 14.9% improvement in the average total compensation over two years and a 17.2% improvement over three years.
The top total salary for most experienced teachers increases by 16.5% over two years and 18.9% over three years. Teachers at the top of the proposed VPS schedule would earn nearly $100,000 by 2020-21.
VPS’ proposal would increase costs by an estimated $12 million in year one and $20 million in year two above the 2017-18 contract.
After backing out restricted funds and reduced levy and levy equalization funds, VPS will receive discretionary state revenue of approximately $24.4 million in 2018-19; $10.4 million of this amount is one-time money and will not be sustained. By 2019-20, VPS will receive discretionary state revenue of approximately $14 million as a result of the legislated levy swap.
To pay for the contract improvements in the district’s proposal, VPS would need to reprioritize resources in 2019-20 and beyond, including spending down the fund balance reserve by $6 million over three years.
Recent tentative agreements or publicly released salary proposals in the region are below.
| Number of extra days required to earn total salary | Starting total salary | Top total salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Center (tentative agreement for 2018-19) | 5 | $44,406 | $84,954** |
| Woodland (tentative agreement for 2018-19) | 7 | $46,599 | $87,832 |
| Kelso (tentative agreement for 2018-19) | 5 | $45,736 | $88,370** |
| Ocean Beach (tentative agreement for 2018-19) | 3 | $46,947 | $88,487 |
| Evergreen (Aug. 15 proposal 2018-19)* | 7 | $50,687 | $96,045 |
| Evergreen (Aug. 15 proposal 2019-20)* | 7 | $51,701 | $97,870 |
• District still negotiating 2018-19 contract
•• Requires 25 years of service to achieve
The VPS contract negotiations webpage has been updated to reflect the most recent proposals.
Bargaining teams are scheduled to meet Aug. 22-24 and on Aug. 27.
The VPS board of directors and leadership team are committed to providing teachers and other district employees with fair and competitive wages in a fiscally responsible and sustainable manner.
Please continue to check the negotiations page daily for updates.