Dixon Public Schools will be presented with teacher and staff contracts

DIXON — Negotiated collective bargaining agreements between unions representing teachers and staff and Dixon Public Schools are on the agenda to be ratified by the board of education when it meets 6 p.m. Wednesday at the administration office on Franklin Grove Road.

Also on the agenda: special presentations of appreciation to Sarah Wilson, the district’s employee of the year, and Mike Grady, who has retired as high school principal.

According a copy of the contract with the Dixon Education Association, teachers will receive a 3% increase in each of the next three school years. The district has a tiered salary schedule that classifies teachers by degree achieved and by longevity.

Base salary for a beginning teacher with a bachelor’s degree will be $36,475 and for a master’s degree will be $40,464 for the 2022-23 school year. That goes to $37,569 and $41,678 starting in 2023-24 and $38,696 and $42,928 starting in 2024-25.

A teacher in their third year of service by 2024-25 will have a salary of $41,067 with a bachelor’s degree or $46,556 with a master’s degree.

The contract also contains a schedule for coaching stipends. Base schedule for head football coach, for instance, is $6,565.50 before factoring percentage increases for years served.

A similar stipend is included for activity sponsors. High school band is $5,107, for instance for years 1-3.

The staff hourly rates are covered by another contract with the Dixon Education Support Personnel Association. There are two “lanes,” depending on qualifications. For 2022-23, base pay hourly rate is $13. It goes up to $14 in 2023-2024, $15 in 2024-25 and will stay there in 2025-26. The fourth year carries a 2% increase for a year’s service.

The board also plans to approve a memorandum of understanding with the unions for one-time bonus to recognize “unique obstacles” presented to staff related to COVID-19. Teachers will get a one-time payment of $1,000. Staff members who worked the full year will get $500 and those who worked the second semester will get $250.