Oak Creek Teachers Get Small Raises, Bonuses

Oak Creek teachers will get 1.29 percent raises through a new contract and a $550 one-time bonus following School Board votes on Monday.

Since the contract covers the 2011-12 school year, union leaders and administrators agreed the raises would only apply to teachers still in the district or who retired at the end of last year — not teachers who have resigned, Human Resources Director Troy Hamblin said.

The cost to the school district is about $341,000, he said. The Oak Creek Education Association ratified the agreement late last month.

Under new state law, teachers can only negotiate for their base salary. But school boards determine supplemental wages, which can include bonuses, stipends or merit pay.

Administrators proposed the $550 bonus as a way to give teachers, some of whom hadn't received a raise in two years, extra pay while not increasing their actual salary.

Many teachers appreciated the payment, said Terry Grogan, West Middle School teacher and president of the teachers union.

"We really, truly believe that working together with administration and the union that we can continue to make Oak Creek a destination district," Grogan said.

Teachers will be eligible for an additional $550 bonus in performance-based pay, Superintendent Sara Burmeister said.