B. The Association shall receive from the Board of Education within thirty (30) days following receipt of the proposed contract, its reply to same.

C. Upon request by the Association president, the Board agrees to make known to the president when and where information is available that the Board is required by law to release. Not later than October 1, 2005, the Board shall provide the Association with a complete teacher salary study showing teacher number, Jefferson Township experience, total experience credit, training level, contract salary, and the Board shall, as soon as same is available, supply the guide salary.

D. Neither party in any negotiations shall have any control over the selection of the negotiating representatives of the other party.

E. In accordance with Chapter 123, Public Laws of 1974, the Board agrees not to negotiate concerning said employees in the negotiating unit as defined in Article I of this Agreement with any organization other than the Association for the duration of this Agreement.

F. This Agreement incorporates the entire understanding of the parties on all matters which were or could have been the subject of negotiation. During the term of this Agreement neither party shall be required to negotiate with respect to any such matter whether or not covered by this Agreement and whether or not within the knowledge or contemplation of either or both of the parties at the time they negotiated or executed this Agreement.

G. This Agreement shall not be modified in whole or in part by the parties except by an instrument in writing duly executed by both parties.

(b) A complaint of a nontenure teacher which arises by reason of his not being re-employed (Rotundo rights);

(c) A complaint by any certificated personnel occasioned by appointment to or lack of appointment to, retention in or lack of retention in, any position, for which tenure either is not possible or not required.

6. If the decision of the Board does not resolve the grievance to the satisfaction of the employee grievant and he wishes review by a third party, he shall so notify the Association within ten (10) school days of receipt of the Board's decision. If the Association determines that the matter should be reviewed further, it shall so advise the Board through the Superintendent within twenty (20) school days of receipt of the Board's decision.

7. (a) The following procedure will be used to secure the services of an arbitrator:

(1) A joint request by the Association and the Board will be made to P.E.R.C. to submit a roster of persons qualified to function as an arbitrator in the dispute in question.

(2) If the parties are unable to determine a mutually satisfactory arbitrator from the submitted list, they will request that PERC submit a second roster of names.

(3) If the parties are unable to determine a mutually satisfactory arbitrator from the second list provided by P.E.R.C., and P.E.R.C. fails to designate an arbitrator, either party may ask P.E.R.C. to do so.

(b) The arbitrator shall limit himself to the issues submitted to him and shall consider nothing else. He can add nothing to, nor subtract anything from the Agreement between the parties, or any policy of the Board of Education. The recommendations of the arbitrator shall be binding.

(c) Rights of Teachers to Representation:

(1) Any aggrieved person may be represented at any or all stages of the grievance procedure by himself, or, at his option, by the Association by a representative selected or approved by the Association.
(2) When a teacher is not represented by the Association in the processing of a grievance, the association shall at the time of submission of the grievance to the Superintendent or any later level, be notified by the Superintendent that the grievance is in process, have the right to be present and present its position in writing at all hearing sessions held concerning the grievance and shall receive a copy of all decisions rendered.

(3) The Board and the Association shall assure the individual freedom from restraint, interference, coercion, discrimination or reprisal in presenting his appeal with respect to his personal grievance.

C. COST
1. Each party will bear the total cost incurred by themselves.
2. The fees and expenses of the arbitrator are the only costs which will be shared by the two parties and such costs will be shared equally.
3. If any time is lost by any employee who is required to be at arbitration proceedings, which have been mutually scheduled and agreed to there shall be no loss of pay.
D. If, in the judgment of the Association, a grievance directly affects a group or class of employees the Association may submit such grievance in writing to the Superintendent directly in accordance with the procedure set forth above and the processing of such grievance shall commence at said level. The Association may process such grievance through all levels of the grievance procedure.

D. No employee shall be prevented from wearing pins or other identification of membership in the Association or its affiliates.

E. All noncertificated personnel shall be provided with a copy of their job description as soon as possible.

F. Bus drivers shall receive a copy of the seniority list at the beginning of each school year.

H. Preparation time will be allowed the following teachers as indicated:

(1) Every elementary classroom teacher assigned to grades one (1) through five (5) shall be scheduled to have 175 minutes per week of preparation time, exclusive of their normal daily lunch break;
(2) Kindergarten teachers shall be allowed 150 minutes per week of preparation time, exclusive of their normal daily lunch break.
(3) Every teacher grades six (6) through twelve (12) shall be scheduled to have at least one (1) 40 minute preparation period per day.

I. Parent - Teacher conference days shall be a minimum of three (3) half days with five (5) half days for kindergarten teachers.

J. Alternative School (after school program)
1. The purpose is to provide replacement academic classes to the students of the Jefferson Township Schools that have been removed from the regular school setting by the Jefferson Township Board of Education.

2. The Alternative School for teachers will begin at the conclusion of the Middle/High School regular school day and will end when the late bus picks up the students.

3. The teachers shall provide instruction to students in the academic areas and will be responsible for the grading of each student. The Alternative School program for the Middle School shall allow all teachers that hold an elementary education certification (multiple subjects) and all teachers that hold a secondary education certification (specific subject) the opportunity to teach the subjects that the program offers. Teachers shall not be required to attend meetings or other functions related to the Alternative School.

4. While the teacher and involved students in the Alternative School are present in a particular school building an administrator responsible for the Alternative School shall be present in the particular building and readily accessible. The administration shall be responsible for the disciplining of students and for all matters pertaining to it.

5. Should an Alternative School teacher be absent from work, other certificated staff shall not be forced to stay for, but may volunteer for with per diem pay, coverage of the class.

6. Once a class/classes for a teacher is scheduled, the teacher shall be given at least one weeks notice before payment for such class/classes will cease. Should no students show up for a scheduled class/classes the teacher shall still be paid for the class/classes.

7. Teachers shall also be paid for 40 minutes of preparation time for each day of Alternative School that they teach. Preparation may be done at school or at home.

8. Teachers shall be paid on a per diem basis based upon their current annual salary as an employee of the district. For payment purposes, the teachers’ current annual salary shall be broken down into a per diem salary and then into an hourly salary based upon the following criteria: 189 school days and a 6.75 hour workday.

Calculation example of an employee with an annual salary of $35, 000: $35,000 189 days = $185.19 per day
$185.19 6.75 hr. = 27.44 per hour

9. This agreement shall be retroactive from September 1, 2001.

10. The number of school days and the length of a school day used above to calculate the teachers’ per diem salary shall not be precedent setting.

2. In the event of an involuntary transfer or reassignment, the employee shall have the right to a conference with his building principal, or nonprofessional supervisor, and the Superintendent. This conference shall be to discuss the best reassignment possible and the employee shall have the right to request a statement in writing of the reasons for such involuntary transfer.

3. As much advance notice shall be given as possible before any transfer.

^*Continuous years of service in Jefferson Township.
Effective July 1, 1997 Instructional Aides will be eligible for longevity listed above.

B. All support staff already receiving longevity at ten (10) years of service will be grandfathered at the present rate until they reach sixteen (16) years, when they will be put on the longevity scale listed above.

C. Longevity for certificated employees shall be awarded as follows:
Certificated Staff 1997- 2000
Years* Per Year Five Year Max.
16-20 $450 $2,250
21-25 $500 $2,500
26-30 $600 $3,000
3l on $700 --------

*Continuous years of service in Jefferson Township

D. All certificated staff who are receiving longevity as of June 30, 1997 will continue at their current amount as listed in “C” above with no increase. No additional staff will be added to the longevity guide listed in “C” above after June 30, 1997.

E. Certificated staff, in their second year at the top of the guide, will receive 1.5% of the longevity guide listed below, in addition to the longevity payments they were receiving as of June 30, 1997.

E. Promotions to positions shall consider ability and experience. Seniority shall be considered but it shall not be controlling.

F. Overtime work shall be offered to custodians and maintenance on a rotating seniority basis but shall be only offered to those employees who are permanently assigned to the building in which overtime work is required. Those employees shall receive time-and-one-half (11/2) for those hours worked beyond the eight (8) hour day. Employees who are full time, i.e. forty (40) hours a week, shall be paid the rate of double time for any work done on Sundays or holidays. Employees who are employed for less than forty (40) hours a week are to be paid time-and-one-half (11/2) for any work done on Sundays or holidays. The administration retains the right to assign overtime work as well as other assignments. Employees shall not be required to work any consecutive double shifts. However, the employee may volunteer to do so.

In the schools where there is a single custodian, the Administration agrees to contact not less than three (3) other custodians at other schools seeking to find a volunteer for purposes of required overtime work. In the event that after attempting three such volunteers, no one is willing to work the overtime at the particular school, the custodian on duty may be required to perform that work.

G. Custodians and maintenance personnel shall receive an additional $150.00 for working during the summer recess. This $150.00 shall be added to each step of the 2003-2004 salary guides, in addition to the agreed upon contractual settlement, and shall become a permanent part of the employees base pay. Once the $150.00 has become part of the salary guide, this clause in the contract will no longer be necessary to identify the pay for summer recess and should be removed as of June 30, 2006.

H. If layoffs become necessary, provisional and probationary employees within group classification should be laid off before any permanent employee loses any time. If after all provisional and probationary employees in a particular group have been laid off and other reductions in the work force become necessary, the Board should lay off in accordance with the principles of seniority within the group classification.

I. All openings for promotional positions and for positions paying higher salary differentials be publicized in each of the school buildings.

J. Holders of a boiler license (Black Seal) shall receive $400.00 additional compensation per year.

K. The 2nd and 3rd shifts (night shifts) shall consist of eight (8) hours as agreed to previously.

C.
1. The Board shall pay a maximum of $100 for physical examinations that are presently required by law.
2. The Board will pay up to $73.00 for fingerprinting renewals.

D. The district will determine which routes are available for selection on a seniority basis.

1. Choice of bus runs shall be by seniority upon openings available for September 1st. The same procedure shall be followed during the last week of December for those openings becoming available between September 1st and Christmas recess for those drivers indicating an interest in the open routes. A seniority list shall be drawn up by the Superintendent of Schools. The Superintendent of Schools shall announce the date for run selection prior to the end of the school years; the bus drivers shall receive such notice not later than the end of each school year of the definite date when the runs for the next school year shall be picked.

2. Kindergarten runs shall be picked on a seniority basis.

3. Auxiliary runs shall be guaranteed four hours and be included in D.l.

E. One-quarter (1/4) hour warm-up time shall be allowed before the first run daily and one-quarter (1/4) hour clean-up time shall be allowed after the last run daily.

F. Extra curricular runs will be assigned by the transportation coordinator on a rotating seniority basis. Drivers who refuse a trip will be skipped over until their turn comes up again. The only exception to this will be the kindergarten and preschool drivers who will be given first choice to their kindergarten or preschool trips provided that the trips do not interfere with any regular assigned routes.

G. Bus drivers shall be allowed eight (8) hours for employees hired prior to July 1, 1997 and four (4) hours for employees hired after July 1, 1997 each school year as compensation for warm-up and clean-up time due to the accumulation of snow. The schedule for the payment of this compensation shall be set by the Superintendent of Schools. This compensation shall be in lieu of compensation for the actual time required for bus drivers for the referred to clean-up and warm-up time as may, in fact, be required due to ice and snow.

H. Either party may at any time terminate the employment contract by giving the other party three weeks notice in writing. Failure on the part of the employee to give three weeks notice will void any entitlement otherwise accruing to the employee.

I. Extra runs assigned to a driver which are to be done on a regular basis, such as shuttles and Title I runs shall be added to the bus drivers base pay rather than assigned as extra pay.

J. Bus drivers shall be paid for any time spent on the road or other time when they are responsible for their bus due to a mechanical breakdown of such bus. The driver shall not be paid for any time when the bus is no longer in his responsibility specifically, he shall not be paid when the bus is turned over to the garage for appropriate repair.

K. In the event an individual driver is called to or back to work after or before their assigned time of arrival or departure from their designated starting or stopping points, two (2) hours will be guaranteed on a straight time basis. (conference days, class or athletic trips and similar occasions are excluded.). Drivers shall be paid for an additional one (1) hour compensation when the High School and/or Middle School is on an early dismissal schedule but the elementary school is not.

L. Late runs will be offered to drivers prior to contracting out based upon the district's ability to coordinate routes in such a manner as to be less costly to the district than contracting out. Notwithstanding the arbitration decision of November 23, 1991, and the confirmation of that award into a judgment, the parties expressly agree that the arbitration ruling shall have no force and effect hereafter. It is expressly recognized that the Board may, without incurring additional salary costs, structure additional late runs for cancelled runs, especially in circumstances such as those leading to the grievance in 1990, that is, playoff schedules, or other unforeseen needs.

M. Mechanics will be provided with 5 long sleeve shirts and 5 pairs of pants. Mechanics will be responsible for cleaning of pants and shirts.

N. Mechanics shall receive time-and-one-half (11/2) for those hours worked beyond the eight hour day. Mechanics should be paid at the rate of double time for any work done on holidays.

O. Mechanics shall receive a $75.00 annual reimbursement toward the purchase of required work footwear upon presentation of their receipt.

Summer Sessions: March 1
Fall Session: June 1
Spring Session: October 1

(any courses approved prior to the ratification of this contract shall not be subject to the dates listed above)

b. Approval for course encumbrance and reimbursement shall be on a first come - first served basis, based upon the date that the Request for Course Approval Sheets were received by the Superintendent. Any monies for approved courses that were not actually utilized by staff members will be given to the next person(s) in line on the first come – first served list.

c. Staff members may replace an approved course in the event of a course cancellation or a district contractual obligation that prohibits them from taking the course. The replacement course must be taken in the session of application or in the subsequent session.

2. To be eligible for course reimbursement, a staff member must have the written approval of the Superintendent prior to enrolling in a course.

3. In order to receive reimbursement for any courses taken pursuant to the Superintendent’s approval, the employee must receive a grade of “B” or better.

4. The above provisions shall also apply to the secretarial staff, instructional aides, BSIP, custodial and maintenance personnel, bus drivers and food service personnel, as it relates to their present assignment.

B. Summer courses taken by teachers shall be reimbursable only if the teacher returns to Jefferson Township the following school year.

C. A request for reimbursement must be submitted, along with the original grade report, within 120 days from the date of completion of course to receive reimbursement.

D. All credits shall be taken in traditional college graduate courses approved by the Superintendent. The following may not be approved: correspondence, weekend, TV/Video, Teacher-to-Teacher (consortium), non-traditional collegiate level graduate courses. The Superintendent may approve Internet courses following an assessment of the official course description and/or syllabus published by the sponsoring institution of higher learning.

E. Placement on the guide will be made once each year in November provided necessary grades are received by November 1, of the placement year. Placement will be retroactive to September of the placement year.

F. Graduate courses taken prior to the receipt of a true Masters can be used for advancement to BA+15 and for advancement on the salary guide after receipt of the Masters degree.

G. All hirees after July 1, 1997 are ineligible for MEQ. They can only achieve a true masters degree.

H. Only those individuals with a true masters can move from the MEQ/MA level for salary guide advancement, e.g., MA+15.

I. Employees hired prior to July 1, 1997 must obtain an MEQ by June 30, 2000 or they will be ineligible for the same.

J. The teachers’ salary guides shall include a MA+45 salary column beginning July 1, 2004. All courses that have been completed on or after July 1, 1998 shall be considered eligible courses. The existing “6th Year” salary guide column shall be retitled “MA+30”.

Mentors will not be asked to formally or informally evaluate the performance of the provisional teachers

Mentor teachers will not be evaluated on their performance as mentors

Training for mentors will be developed through joint consultation, Jefferson Township Board of Education/Jefferson Township Education Association, based on needs assessment

Release Time Mentors
Elementary Schools: Mentors are to receive no duties.

Middle School/High School: Release periods, ten (10) per team, five (5) for the mentor and five (5) for the novice teacher, will be scheduled annually for cross observation.

Funds will be collected from the provisional teacher through payroll deduction and paid in one sum to the mentor teacher. The Board will reimburse the novice teacher if s/he is rehired for the subsequent school year.

Adjustments for late hires will be made, if possible, after schedules have been completed.

2. The Board of Education reserves the right to cancel the Basic Skills Improvement Plan for the remainder of the year if State and Federal funding should run out.
3. Items specific to certificated part-time teaching personnel referred to in Articles VI,C., XVIII,A., XXVII,A., and XXVIII,A.,1.,2.,3.,
B. In witness whereof the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be signed by their respective presidents, attested by their respective secretaries, and their corporate seals to be affixed hereto, all on the day and year first written above.

JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP

EDUCATION ASSOCIATION BOARD OF EDUCATION

At the beginning of the second year at the top of the guide, certificated staff will receive compensation as indicated by the longevity section of the contract. SEE ARTICLE XVIII, F.

As of July 1, 2000 BSIP teachers have been moved from the BSIP guide to the teachers’ salary and longevity guides. Placement of existing BSIP teachers on the guide is detailed in a separate agreement between the Association and the Board.