Teacher Pay Increase
Union members and management at Siuslaw Schools came to an agreement earlier this month on new employment contracts that will provide a higher “starting pay rate” for new hires. District superintendent Andy Grzeskowiak says one component of the new pay schedules has created some concern in the community. That’s because entry level teachers with minimum educational levels will hire on at a higher rate than previously.
“People see 9.5% in the first year, it really only effects that entry level column because our goal was to get our bachelor’s level teachers up to 50-thousand in the first cycle of this contract.”
Grzeskowiak says the wage increases overall amount to about a 5.5% raise, something he says is intended to compensate employees for a higher cost of living because of inflation. The second year and subsequent years of the contracts include cost-of-living increases of about 3.5%. The Superintendent said the higher starting salary makes Siuslaw more competitive “wage-wise” when compared with other school districts in Oregon.
Artist Wanted for Poster
For 29 years the Empty Bowls holiday event has been a successful fund raiser for Florence Food Share. Every year for the past decade the work of a local artist has been used as a poster to publicize the event, and then the original has been raffled off as a way of generating extra revenue. The call is out for artists to submit entries for the 2024 Empty Bowls. Interested artists can submit their “concept”, along with a description of their medium and proposed image along with photos of their previous work in order to give judges an idea of your style. Entry submissions must be emailed to Desiree Clifton at dclifton@windemere.com no later than August 25th. The completed, unframed artwork must be submitted by September 30th. More information on the process is included with the online version of this story.
Search and Rescue Month
Summer time along the coast can be a great time to get outdoors and enjoy the coastal amenities. Whether it is hiking, boating, camping or recreating on the dunes. The Oregon Department of Emergency Management is asking all who participate to do so safely. June is Search and Rescue Month… On average, more than 1,000 Search and Rescue (SAR) missions are conducted each year in Oregon, and during the last decade, 99% of people needing SAR assistance lived outside the county where they were rescued. Lack of preparedness was often the common denominator. Scott Lucas is the state coordinator for Search and rescue and he says inexperienced, overconfident and unprepared are the three common factors in most search and rescue events. The state has compiled a list of things to help you prepare, they are listed with the online version of this story on the coast radio website.