The Geary USD 475 Board of Education has approved the annual teaching contract for the school district. It includes a five percent increase in salary for teachers for the 2019-2020 school year, with total new expenditures for the district of approximately $1.9 million.

Board member Sarah Talley was on the negotiating team for the contracts. “I think we worked really hard together and worked well together. I think the process was well carried through.” Teachers and board members work together to negotiate contracts in the district.

Board member Tom Brungardt explained the funding for the increases comes from the increase in money the state put into the school finance formula which will go up in two more years, and after that it will be based on a consumer price index formula.”

Brungardt noted raises are happening across the state. He said legislative leaders, the commissioner of education and state school board members have encouraged districts to make sure that they are making up for the lack of raises that teachers did not get in recent years due to the budgetary crisis.

The Junction City Education Association had already ratified the salary increases for the 2019-2020 school year.