SJESPA Bargaining Sessions

9-18-2024

St. Johns County School District – presented  Two Votes One Decision Presentation V8 with Notes (9-5-24)

MOU – Referendum for the one-mil –   MOU-Referendum 2024-2025

• This will be for the 2024-2025 school year.
• Implemented July 1, 2025.
• Recruit and retain high-quality teachers and staff by paying competitive compensation.
• Continue to invest in school safety and student welfare, including school nurses and special education.
• Preserve and enhance educational programs, including science, technology, art, music and athletics.
• Total Value of One Mill = $58,662,558 –  Copy of Overall Funding Scenario
•  Less Charter Schools $1,859.186
• Net available = $56,803,372
• Percentage of allocated for employee salaries = 85% = $48,282,866.
• FRS/FICA taxes will be set aside = $8,471,800.
• Net total available for compensation = $39,811,092.

Next bargaining session will be November 19, 2024, if the referendum passes on November 5, 2024.

Key take away points:

SJCSD presented the following:

• Appendix F- Safe Operator Plan – no changes were made.
• Appendix E – Field Trip Procedures – changes:
  • removal of an amount for two hours of compensation to a flat rate.
  • Field Trip Committee clarification that the committee will consist of 3 Bus Operators.
  • Calculation of flat rate.
• Article VI – General Terms and Conditions of Employment – Counterproposal
  • if a support professional isn’t rehired, employee will be given 15 workdays notice.
  • removed 12-month employees that work a 10-hour day in the summer shall be entitled to a 45-minute lunch period.
  •  removal of clarification of personal and district tools.
  • removal of in-service points will be available upon request, have access to them at any time.
  • removal of School Bus Compounding language, which is already in the transportation handbook.

SJESPA counter proposal for Article XI – Transfers, Reassignments and Vacancies

the following procedures will be followed when opening new schools or employees impacted by new school openings.

• • positions for the new schools will be posted internally to the entire district through the district’s online application system.
  • Interviews and hiring will be conducted when the postings close and for all internal applicants at the schools directly affected.  Additional interviews for other internal employees who apply will be held at a school geographically located to their current school.
  • Prior to January of the new school opening, principals/supervisors should recommend that all employees apply for positions at the new school because the school could see a reduction in staff and an involuntary transfer may be possible.
  • The principal/supervisor will complete their hiring no later than February prior to the school’s opening.
  • If there are support professionals positions/programs that are reduced at schools affected by rezoning, the district will involuntarily transfer them to open positions.
  • Any support professional who has been non-reappointed for budget shall be afforded interviews in accordance with the transfer process through the start of the following school year.
  • Non-reappointed employees hired after August 30th will have a break in service and will be required to be processed as a new employee.

SJSCD – will have a counter proposal for Article XI – Transfers, Reassignments and Vacancies, at the next negotiation session.

Tentatively agreed on the following:

Appendix E – Field Trip Procedures Appendix E – Field Trip Procedures

Appendix F – Safe Operator Plan Appendix F – Safe Operator Plan

Article VI – General Terms and Conditions of Employment Article VI – General Terms and Conditions of Employment

This session was a combined session between St. Johns County School District, St. Johns Educational Association (SJEA) and St. Johns Education Support Professional Association (SJESPA).

Key take away points:

SJCSD presented the following:

• 2024-2025 Budget Presentation.
• Insurance committee update presentation.
• Counter proposal for Article II – Association and Professional Employee Rights and Duties.

SJEA presented the following articles with grammatical errors:

• Article XVIII – Term of Agreement –
• Article XX – Professional Employee Assessment –
• Article XXI – School Improvement/Educational Accountability
• Article XXII – First Coast Technical College
• Article XXIII – St. Johns Virtual School

SJCSD counter proposal for:

Article II- Association and Professional Employee Rights and Duties

We tentatively agreed to the following:

• Article XVIII – Term of Agreement –Article XVIII – Term of Agreement
• Article XX – Professional Employee Assessment –Article XX – Professional Employee Assessment
• Article XXI – School Improvement/Educational Accountability – Article XXI – School Improvement-Educational Accountability
• Article XXII – First Coast Technical College – Article XXII – First Coast Technical College
• Article XXIII – St. Johns Virtual School – Article XXIII – St. Johns Virtual School

SJCSD is currently reviewing the changes made to

• Article VIII – Transfers and Reassignments
• Article XII – Vacancies and Promotions
• Article II – Association and Professional Employee Rights and Duties

No action was taken.

Next session

Wednesday, April 10, 2024, at 5:00PM.

 

The session between St. Johns County School District and St. Johns Educational Support Personnel Association (SJESPA) was held at Fullerwood Training Center with a 6:00PM start.

SJCSD proposed the following:

Agreed at last meeting to a total compensation package in the amount of 1.2 million and would bring back the details of the compensation packet.  The following is the proposal:

• No future increases and advancement on the Salary Schedule will be implemented until they are negotiated in an agreement and ratified by the respective parties.
• One step increase for all eligible employees.
• Increase hourly rates of pay (when necessary) to ensure that each step between 0 and Step 13 increases by a minimum of $400.00 annually.  Increase of an annual value of $400.00 for Step 14 based upon the maximum possible hours and days for each salary schedule.  All increases shall be effective July 1, 2023.
• Change to starting hourly rate (Step 0) on Bus Operator Schedule to $18.00 per hour.
• Change to starting hourly rate (Step 0) on Maintenance Mechanic Schedule to $20.00 per hour.
• Any full-time non-instructional employees that received up to and including the $750 supplement during the 2022-2023 school year will receive the same dollar amount for the 2023-2024 school year which will be paid at the end of the school year on a separate check or via a separate direct deposit (depending on how the employee receives their pay during the school year). *
•  Any full-time non-instructional employees that received up to and including the $500 supplement during the 2022-2023 school year will receive the same dollar amount for the 2023-2024 school year which will be paid at the end of the school year on a separate check or via a separate direct deposit (depending on how the employee receives their pay during the school year). *
• No additional employees will receive longevity supplements.
• No increase to employee contribution for medical, dental and vision insurance.

* – Employees working less than the contractual full-time amount of 6.0 hours for food service, 7.50 for 186 days, 7.5 hours for 196 days, or 8 hours for 252 days will earn a prorated amount based upon their new hourly rate of pay.

Cost for package: $1,179,839 (2.26%)

MOUs proposed:

• MOU – Hurricane Idalia Make up Day
• MOU – Sign on Bonus for Bus Operators – $500 to entry level operator and $500 to recruiting employee – must remain in position for 15 months before payment.
• MOU – Sign on Bonus for ESE Paraprofessionals – $500 newly hired on or after November 1, 2023 – must remain in position for 5 months.

Appendix E – Field Trip Procedures for Transportation

Appendix F – Safe Operator Plan for Transportation

Salary Schedule for Bus Operators and Maintenance Mechanic- raise Step 0 for Bus Operators to $18.00 and raise Step 0 for Maintenance Mechanics to $20.00.

SJESPA Counterproposal:

MOU sign on for ESE Paraprofessionals to give $500 for new ESE paraprofessionals and $250 for existing ESE Paraprofessionals

MOU- Salary Schedules for Bus Operators starting salary at $17.50 and Maintenance Mechanics starting salary at $19.00, no less than $450 per step increase and $500 for step 14.

Would like to see a salary committee formed to review the salary schedules. One SJESPA member from each pay class would be represented.

SJCSD counter proposal

• Compensation:
• agree to start Maintenance Mechanics at $19.00 per hour and start Bus Operators at $17.50 per hour.
• No increase to the MOU for ESE paraprofessionals who already are in the position for a one-time bonus of $500.
• The district proposed instead a “holiday” for the medical, dental and vision premiums for the month of December.  An employee that has the Hospital Plan 2 family plan, Dental Plan 2 family and vision family would save $771.
• An increase to the hourly rate of pay (when necessary) to ensure that each step between 0 and Step 13 increases by a minimum of $450 annually and Step 14 an annual value of $500.

SJESPA and SJCSD tentatively agreed to:

• Compensation without the “holiday” of premiums. – Article XII – Compensation 2023-2024 school year
• Appendix E – Field Trip Procedures – Appendix E Field Trip Procedures
• Appendix F – Safe Operator Plan – Appendix F – Safe Operator Plan
• Bus Operator Salary Schedule – Bus Operators Salary Schedule
• Maintenance Mechanic Salary Schedule – Maintenance Mechanics Salary Schedule
• MOU- Hurricane Idalia – MOU- Hurricane Make up
• MOU – Salary Review Committee – MOU- Salary Review Committee
• MOU – School Bus Operator Sign on Bonus – MOU- School Bus Operator Sign On Bonus

Additional salary schedules will be posted at a later date.  Thank you to both bargaining teams.

 

 

The session between St. Johns Educational Support Professional Association (SJESPA) and St. Johns County School District was held at the Fullerwood Training Center with a 6:00PM start.

Key take away points:

• St. Johns County School District proposed the following increase for Article XII – Compensation
  • • • Support Staff bargaining unit will receive a total package of 1.1 million.
      • SJESPA and SJCSD negotiating teams will work collaboratively to create an appropriate plan for the 1.1 million.
      • Insurance premiums for 2023-2024 school year will be negotiated at a future session.
      • Raises will be retro to July 1, 2023.
• St Johns Educational Support Professional Association (SJESPA) counteroffer for Article XII – Compensation
  • • • Support Staff bargaining unit will receive total package of 1.2 million.
      • SJESPA and SJCSD negotiating teams will work collaboratively to create an appropriate plan for the 1.2 million.
      • Raises will be retro to July 1, 2023.

Article XII – Compensation 2023-2024 school year

St. Johns County School District and St. Johns Educational Support Professional Association (SJESPA) agreed on the following increase for the 2023-2024 school year:

• The support staff bargaining unit, SJESPA will receive a total of 1.2 million for salary increases.
• SJESPA and SJCSD negotiating teams will work collaboratively to create an appropriate distribution plan for the 1.2 million.
• Raises will be retro back to July 1, 2023.