Falls teachers agree to pay more

Menomonee Falls - Last May, several hundred people voiced displeasure with the Menomonee Falls School Board, insisting that signing a new contract with the teachers union would hamstring the district from fighting its budget problems.

Following the contract, the board was able to find ways to close a $5 million deficit and actually lower taxes without gutting staff. It was provisions in the contract, mainly health care and pension contributions, which made up the deficit.

Now, facing another budget deficit - numbers are far from final, but early projections from the district are for another multimillion dollar shortfall - the board and the unions have agreed to raise the employee contribution to health care even further.

Now, the district will only cover 88.5 percent of the least expensive plan, which means a 3.5 percent increase for employees. According to board member Lori Blodorn, this was not about the board squeezing the unions.

"They came to the table and said 'We want to put education in Menomonee Falls first,' " she said, adding that the teachers union has already voted and agreed to this provision.

In the contract, the district's insurance program will become self-funding in 2013, which is expected to save the district more money as will the reduction in other post-employment benefits.

Self-funding would allow the district to work outside strictures of a for-profit insurance provider and could save both the district and teachers money.

Student spending going up

Business Director Jeff Gross said state revenues will likely be down around 15 percent, but per pupil spending will increased by about $100 per student. Gross said energy costs are rising, which will mean not all of that money will be able to go directly to classroom programs.

A special meeting has been schedule for Monday to approve the health care contribution bump. The rest of the budget, along with a more exact figure regarding the budget deficit, won't be released on March.