School District Responds to Teacher Protest

The School District of University City has responded to the protest held outside its board of education meeting Thursday by district teachers. The teachers union is upset with a contract offered to district teachers from the district. 

See our previous story: Teachers Union Protests Outside School Board

The district's statement reads as follows:

The District supplied teachers with contracts offered in good faith. Teachers who earn six-college level credits by Jan. 31, 2014 will advance one step on the salary schedule. This means that 93 percent of our teachers will receive a full-salary step increase. Please note, even though the District is projecting an operating budget deficit in fiscal year 2013 of approximately $680,000, the current contract more than fairly compensates teachers by offering a 3.52 percent increase that surpasses the 2 percent average increase offered by other districts in the St. Louis area.

The District also offers full-tuition reimbursement - at the UMSL credit hour rate - for up to nine hours of graduate course work annually among other salary schedule incentives. We wholeheartedly value our staff and the education profession. We celebrate the many teachers who serve as champions for our students each day and dedicate 100 percent to their craft. We have reflected this deep appreciation in the current teacher salary schedule, despite the challenging financial times we are facing. 

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