The Olentangy Board of Education unanimously approved a one-year contract extension with the Olentangy Teachers Association (OTA) that includes a zero percent increase to the base salary. This new contract, which begins July 1, 2011, will allow the district to avoid $1.3 million in potential wage increase costs next school year.
“At Olentangy Local Schools we care about our community,” said Board of Education President Julie Wagner Feasel. “The board and all our staff members believe in joint efforts that build stronger relationships with the members of our community. Thanks to the great partnership with the OTA, this agreement will provide some needed financial relief for the district and lessen the future burden to our taxpayers.”
The OTA is the latest Olentangy employee group to forego base wage increases. In August, the board approved one-year contracts with the district’s two classified union groups. These agreements included a zero percent base wage increase for the 2010-11 school year. Last spring, the district announced that the non-union classified employees and the district’s administration would also be giving up base wage increases for the 2010-11 school year. Those moves allowed the district to avoid $706,364 in wage increase costs for the current school year. When combined, the district saved $2 million in wage increase costs by all employees taking a zero percent base wage increase.
“OTA believes in partnerships,” said OTA President Elaine Eddy. “Our community is going through some difficult economic times right now. The teachers understand and want to do our part as members of the Olentangy community.”