The Mandan Education Association and Mandan School Board came to agreement on a two-year teachers' contract.

The MEAand the school board negotiation team met Wednesday night to clarify three final issues. Those issues were adding a pay scale for doctoral degree holders, defining leave for bereavement and refining a sick-leave policy.

The new salary schedule will include a new category for teachers with doctoral degrees. The base salary for this category is $1,500 more than the base salary for teachers with a master's degree plus 30 additional credits. The salary schedule for 2009-10 and 2010-11 was agreed upon earlier in negotiations.

"Their numbers came in close with ours,"MEApresident Marilyn Keller said about the district proposal.

The beginning salary for a first-year teacher with a bachelor's degree will be $29,515 for 2009-10 and $31,265 for 2010-11. That is a 5 percent salary increase the first year and a 7 percent salary increase the second year of the contract. This would cost the district about $683,000 the first year and $915,000 the second year.

The increase in health insurance premiums will be split evenly among the district and teachers. If the increase is greater than 10 percent, teachers will pay 5 percent, with the district picking up the remainder of the increase.

The sick leave and bereavement clauses were changed to reflect current business practice. A teacher can be granted up to three additional days of leave to accommodate for funeral-related travel. The superintendent would need to approve the additional days. The district will follow the sick leave policy for teachers taking time off because of grieving. After five consecutive days, the district requires a doctor's note.

The method by which teachers can trade sick leave days for personal days was changed. The MEAand the district will study how teachers utilize this policy to see if there is any abuse of the program. The program will end at the completion of the contract.

Now the board negotiation team must take the contract to the school board for approval. Then the MEA can ratify it. There will be a special board meeting Monday for the board to approve the contract. The MEA hopes to have it ratified by the end of next week.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@bismarcktribune.com.)