Key Communique

Jeffco Public Schools has reached tentative agreements on contract negotiations with its three employee groups, the Jefferson County Education Association (JCEA), the Classified School Employees Association (CSEA) and the Jefferson County Association of Paraprofessionals (JCAP).

The district and its employees have agreed to a three percent cost of living increase, effective Sept. 1, 2006, along with annual step (years of service) and level (educational credits) increases. Negotiated agreements include:

The parties agreed to maintain the current benefit allocation of $515 a month for full-time employees. This is the sum the district provides to staff to offset the cost of health and other benefits. Additional items of the settlement include increased starting salaries for beginning teachers to make the district's entry-level compensation more competitive in the metro-Denver area.

JCEA President Nancy Henderson said, " I am pleased that we have reached a tentative agreement with the school district. This is a fair settlement, and I trust this outcome will lay a positive foundation for our talks next year when we bargain the entire teacher contract."

Jeffco Public Schools Superintendent Cynthia Stevenson said the Board of Education and members of the district's administrative team were pleased with the settlement. “Jeffco is proud of the accomplishments of our outstanding teaching force," she said. "We are pleased to recognize their work and their commitment with this settlement.”

This is the last year of a four-year agreement between the district and its teachers association with annual compensation and benefit re-openers and other mutually agreed upon items.

The parties agreed to maintain the current benefit allocation for classified employees. The monthly benefit allocation ranges from $458 to $515 depending on the number of hours per year a classified employee is paid.

Under terms of the negotiated agreement, the employees covered by the JCAP contract will receive the same type of cost of living increases as negotiated by CSEA and JCEA.
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2006 final budget hearing scheduled for June 1

The Jefferson County Board of Education will hold its final public hearing regarding the district's 2006-07 budget at its regular business meeting at 7 p.m., Thursday, June 1, in the Board Room at the Education Center, 1829 Denver West Drive, Bldg. 27, in Golden. The proposed budget includes the Proposed Use of Amendment 23 Funds for the period July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007.

This is the first year the district is using a new budgeting process called Budgeting for Results , which was designed to support Jeffco Public Schools' commitment to student achievement with its limited annual resources. The process creates a balanced budget that requires district leadership to align resources, services and structures with the core mission of increasing the achievement of every student. The results align with the district's Strategic Plan and are the foundation of the entire budgeting process.

Budgeting for Results allows staff to identify both innovations and cost savings because the process looks first at funding what makes a difference in student achievement across the district. Employees have been actively involved in the new budgeting process, including providing more than 2,000 ideas for tying resources to student achievement. Community members have had the opportunity to participate in school meetings, two budget forums, stakeholder panels, online options and Board of Education meetings.

On Tuesday, March 28, the five-member board reviewed the requests for $40.8 million in funding and then revised the proposals based on the $7 million that is available in ongoing and one time funding. The board developed a preliminary list of revised proposals that may be included in the 2006-07 budget that must be finalized by June.

Any Jefferson County resident wishing to comment on the proposed budget will be given the opportunity to do after signing the public comment roster at the meeting.
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The Board of Education holds Study/Dialogue Sessions (Seminar Room, 4th floor) and Business meetings (Board Room, 5th floor) at the Educational Services Center, 1829 Denver West Drive, Bldg #27, Golden, unless otherwise noted.