ANOKA-HENNEPIN SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES NEW TWO-YEAR CONTRACT WITH AHEM

PRESS RELEASE – (Feb. 27, 2024) – The Anoka-Hennepin School Board approved the working agreement for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years with Anoka-Hennepin Education Minnesota (AHEM) at its Feb. 26 meeting. The school board supported the contract with a 5-0 vote of approval with Board Clerk Jeff Simon abstaining as recommended by state law as his spouse is a teacher.

Key provisions: The working agreement includes historic funding support for teachers and was ratified by AHEM members with a 77% member approval. Key provisions include:

• *A salary schedule improvement of 5% the first year and 3% the second year of the contract.
• *A one-time payment of $750 per member in the first year.
• *Establishing a $50,000 starting salary for teachers in the second year of the contract.
• *Increasing insurance contributions to 5% in the first year and 5% single/10% family in the second year.
• *Increasing 403B district match contribution to up to $2,000 per member annually.
• *Adding Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) teachers to the K-12 teacher schedule (hourly rate based on an 8-hour work day).
• *Adjustments to the miscellaneous hourly rate, Extra Services Agreements, and stipends, increasing 4% in the first year and 2% in the second year.

The process: Teacher contracts in Minnesota schools are negotiated every two years and employees continue working under their current contract until a new one is approved. Negotiation teams representing the Anoka-Hennepin School District and AHEM reached an agreement on a tentative contract settlement following eight negotiation sessions over three months and two mediation sessions in January 2024.

High quality teachers: Recruiting and retaining high quality teachers and staff is a strategic priority for Anoka-Hennepin Schools and terms of the contract settlement aim to assist in that goal. The updated contract will set the median base pay for teachers above $86,000 in year two of the contract and establish an entry-level teacher base salary above $50,000 annually.

The Anoka-Hennepin School District is served by 3,200 teachers, counselors, social workers and nurses who operate from 52 schools and learning centers throughout the district. Over 82% of district operating expenditures are guided to personnel costs for direct instruction and support of student learning.

SOURCE: Hometown Source