District 205 Superintendent Ralph Grimm is asking for a district wide pay freeze.
Opening up the contract to accept a hard freeze would require a vote by teachers in the Galesburg Education Association.
That vote will happen 5 p.m. on Monday in GHS’ Auditorium after GEA President Dave Sharp shares relevant information with members.
Sharp emphasizes that a hard freeze has long lasting impacts beyond just this year.
Teachers would miss out on the next step in the salary schedule for their years of service, which is money that Sharp says teachers would likely never get back.
There are currently district teachers doing graduate class work but a freeze would keep them from advancing a lane in the salary schedule as well.
The Board also typically pays for portions of educators’ graduate work tuition if it benefits the schooling of 205 students, which would also likely be gone for a year.
Sharp tells WGIL he takes issue with the “speculation” of possible scenarios that have prompted the request for a freeze.
“They want us to understand that this could happen. It’s not that it’s going to happen, but that it could happen,” Sharp says. “So as far as whether we’re in agreement or not about everything that’s been told to us, we’re in agreement that we have a budget problem.”
Sharp questions whether the board is rushing attempts to achieve a balanced budget by FY18 to the detriment of staff and students.
He is unsure of how much of the hard freeze can be negotiated but says he’s been in contact with Superintendent Grimm.
