District 196 Teachers, Board of Education Come to Contract Agreement

The District 196 School Board at its Sept. 9 meeting approved a new two-year agreement with members of Dakota County United Educators (DCUE) representing the nearly 2,000 teachers and school nurses in the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools. DCUE members ratified the tentative agreement in a membership vote Sept. 4.

The approved contract is retroactive to July 1, 2013 and runs through June 30, 2015. It provides a 2 percent improvement to the salary schedule each year, with an additional 0.71 percent increase for teachers at the top step of the pay schedule in year one and 0.6 percent for the top step in year two of the contract. Longevity pay for eligible employees will increase by a range of $63 to $190 in the first year, depending on the employee’s experience level, and by a range of $62 to $187 in year two. 

A first-year teacher with a bachelor’s degree will earn $37,324 under the contract this year, while an experienced teacher with a master’s degree at the top of the schedule will earn $68,194 in base salary and up to $7,183 in longevity pay.

The district will increase its contribution for health insurance premiums by 2 percent in the first year and 1 percent in the second year of the contract.

“I am pleased to have a settlement that will keep us competitive in attracting and retaining the best teachers,” said Superintendent Jane K. Berenz. “We are a district of choice because of the high-quality people we have working with our students.”