The North Thurston Public Schools and the North Thurston Education Association agree on the importance of new school planning and implementation. In order for the Association to be informed about proposals to be implemented at new school(s), some of which may have contractual ramifications, the District and Association agree to a planned process of communication and decision-making.

This process will be included in the overall planning of the new school program and consist of ongoing communication with key timelines provided for bargaining any contractual changes. The goal of this process is to obtain Association input prior to decisions being made and programs being developed that may not feasibly be changed after the fact.

Employee will be placed on the salary schedule according to the provisions described below.

38.1 Those employees whose positions are presently established on the salary schedule will maintain their longevity and present educational increment steps, except when the change in salary schedule might delete or add steps. In that case, placement would then be established in accord with the new conditions.

38.2 Except as provided above for purposes of salary placement, only credits earned after the BA degree certification will apply.

38.2.1 For initial placement on the salary schedule, credits, and experience as defined in the master contract will be based on transcripts and prior school District experience as submitted to and verified by the Human Resources Office.

38.2.2 Educational advancement on the salary schedule will be subject to the contract provisions. In order to have approved educational credits apply for salary schedule advancement, the employee must submit to the Human Resources Office, an Application for Salary Credit/Clock Hour Approval listing of courses or certification and/or advanced degree(s) and credit naming the institution that the employee intends to complete. Immediately upon completion of the course(s), the employee must submit verification of:

Completion of the course(s)

A.     A request for official transcripts to be sent to the District Human Resources Office. Official transcript must be submitted or received by the Human Resources Office by the close of the workday of September 30th, or the immediately preceding workday if September 30th is on a weekend.

B.     To qualify for placement at the BA 135 Level, courses must have been completed by December 31, 1991.

C.     Increments for experience, education and masters degree will be in accordance with the index as established on the salary schedules.

D.     College credits for advancement on the salary schedule will be accepted from an accredited four-year-degree-granting institution and for courses taken at community colleges or vocational schools if they are:

1. Applicable toward advanced, educational-related degrees or certification

2. Directly applicable to the individual's current position

3. Applicable to a future, educationally-related position

39.1 General Conditions

Each teacher's salary for the current school year will be determined by the teacher's placement on the North Thurston School District Teachers' Salary Schedule.  The salary schedule is attached as Appendix A.

39.2 Compliance

The intent of the parties is to comply with limitations imposed by RCW 28A.400.200 and the State Budget. No provisions of the Agreement will be interpreted or applied so as to place the District in breach of the salary limitations imposed by State Law or subject the District to a state funding penalty.

39.3 Salary Placement

Teachers will be placed on the Salary Schedule according to the following criteria:

A.     Criteria established by State Law, Washington Administrative Code (WAC) and as further specified in the annual Superintendent of Public Instruction's (OSPI) reporting guidelines for the S-275 Report.

B.     Certification, degree, official transcripts and experience verification on file as of the date of issuance of the individual teacher contract.

39.4 Advancement

39.4.1 No advancement on the salary schedule will be made until the appropriate documentation (certification, degree, official transcripts and experience verification) is registered in the Human Resources Office.

39.4.2 Any returning teacher planning on advancement for the ensuing school year must adhere to the following:

A.     Have all necessary course credit or experience necessary completed prior to September 30 of the ensuing school year.

B.     Have appropriate documentation on file on or before September 30 each year for advancement credit for that school year. Salary advancement will not be credited any later than September 30 of the fiscal school year, unless the teacher can produce evidence that the circumstances were beyond the employee's control.

C.     Have appropriate documentation on file on or before September 30 each year for longevity advancement for that school year. Salary advancement will not be credited any later than September 30 of the fiscal school year, unless the teacher can produce evidence that the circumstances were beyond the employee's control.

39.4.3 New-hired certificated employees must have appropriate documentation of all course credit, including clock hours, and experience registered in the Human Resources Office within ninety (90) calendar days of their first day of work in order for the credit and/or experience to be applicable to the current year salary, unless the teacher can produce evidence that the absence of the documentation is beyond the employee's control. Documentation received after the cutoff date will be applicable for the following school year in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement.

39.4.4 Advancement will further be in accordance with criteria established by State Law, Washington Administrative Code (WAC) and as further specified in the annual Superintendent of Public Instruction's guidelines for the S-275 Report.

39.4.5 The parties agree to meet annually to review the distribution of state salary and benefit funds as established by State Law, Washington Administrative Code (WAC) and as further specified in the annual Superintendent of Public Instruction's guidelines for the S-275 Report.

40.1 Permissive Benefits

40.1.1 The District will provide insurance premiums payments toward premiums of approved District group insurance programs in accordance with the provisions and options outlined in this section.

40.1.2 New teachers desiring coverage must enroll in the medical and salary insurance programs within thirty (30) days of their employment. Returning teachers will have the option to change or enroll in insurance programs during the open enrollment period specified by the District. Enrollment in the mandatory dental, group life and vision programs are automatic.

40.1.3 The District's contribution will be according to the following schedule for all eligible employees and their eligible dependents. The District's contribution will first go to the premium cost of the dental plan, group term life and vision and then to the approved health insurance, provided an employee works a minimum of .5 FTE.

40.1.4 The schedule for the school year will be the state allocated amount per month for full time (1350 hours) employees. The state amount per month is the state insurance benefit allocation. Equal to or greater than .5 and less than 1.0 FTE employees will receive a prorated amount of the full-time contribution. If the amount per teacher per month does not cover the premiums for those insurance plans outlined above, the District will deduct from the teacher's monthly salary the amount necessary to pay the premium(s) due.

40.2 Tax-Sheltered Annuity

The District will provide the opportunity for employees to participate in tax-sheltered annuities within the provisions of Federal and State Law. All participating companies will be required to go through District procedure for enrollment and payment procedures. The District will not remove any company in which an employee is participating in a tax-sheltered annuity. Additional companies will be added only upon agreement of the parties of one of the existing companies. A list of approved companies will be available in the Administrative Services Office for employees' use.

40.3 Alternate Pre-Tax Deduction IRS--Section 125

40.3.1 In addition to the standard process, the District will provide for processing payroll deductions for medical and life insurance premiums as allowed within IRS Section 125 on a pre-tax basis when elected by the employee.

40.3.2 The District will establish a Section 125 Plan providing for pre-tax payroll deductions for payment of dependent care expenses and un-reimbursed medical expenses as allowed under IRS 125. Amounts deducted can only be used for acceptable qualified Section 125 expenses. Deductions accrued in excess of expenses withdrawn are forfeited to the District at the end of the plan year. The District will pay related administrative costs and establish administrative procedures.

40.4 Workers Compensation

In the event that a staff member injured on the job qualifies for Worker's Compensation Time Loss, and in the event that the injured employee has sick leave available, the employee may turn in their Worker's Compensation check to The North Thurston Public Schools' Risk Management Office. The employee's pay for the contracted workdays, at the employee's contracted hourly rate of pay, will be determined. The difference between value of the number of hours of sick leave the employee has used and the value of the number of hours that can be reinstated with the Time Loss payment will be credited to the employee's sick leave balance. Thus, the employee will receive full pay, by virtue of taking sick leave for hours missed.

Summer school teaching assignment compensation will be paid at the employee's regular hourly certificated, contractual rate, in accordance with the certificated employees' salary schedule, prorated to fit the length and duration of the summer assignment as compared to the regular certificated employee's contracted day. Summer school employment will be contracted under a supplemental contract. Annually, prior to Summer school, the District and Association will collaboratively discuss working conditions associated with summer school to include but not be limited to, class size, planning and program development time.

Employees hired under supplemental contracts for professional curriculum development work will be paid at per diem rate.

43.1 All employees will be paid in twelve (12) monthly installments. Each check will contain one-twelfth (1/12th) of the contracted salaries.

43.2 Those certificated employees who have supplemental contracts will be paid in equal monthly installments commencing with the October paycheck or as soon as possible after a written supplemental contract is signed by the District and the employee.

43.3 In the event underpayment of salary is made, correction will be made on the next salary payment. When an overpayment is made, the correction will be made in the next monthly payment. Cumulative errors will be corrected at the rate accumulated or as agreed to between the District and the affected employee provided repayment is completed prior to the end of the employee's contract year.

43.4 All compensation owed to a certificated employee who is leaving the District through resignation or leave of absence for the remainder of the contract year will be paid at the next immediate pay period, provided time is available to process such pay request.

Salaries and benefits will be paid and sick leave and personal leave accumulated at a prorated share of the yearly Full Time Equivalent. Increments for experience will be granted such that part-time employee will be granted experience as reported on the S-275 Report.