Ogden board ratifies employee agreements after interest-based bargaining; district to cover two-thirds of insurance increase

The Ogden School District board on May 1 ratified new employee agreements reached through an interest-based bargaining process that included licensed educators, education support professionals and administrators.

Director of Human Resources Jessica Benington told the board the talks focused on shared interests and language updates; the agreements provide a one-step salary increase for all employee groups and a $311 educator salary adjustment (ESA) limited to licensed educators. "Across the board, all of the employee groups landed on one step. And then our licensed educators, they get an additional $311," Benington said.

Benington also described steps taken to prevent a pay decrease for support staff who had reached the top of their pay schedule. "For education support professionals who are on step nine and capped out, they won't get a step next year; they will receive a one-time payment in September that will cover that cost of those insurance premium increases," she said.

The district reported a 30% increase in its medical insurance premium; under the ratified deal employees will pay one-third of that rise while the district covers two-thirds. Benington framed the one-time payment for capped employees as a cost-offset, not a recurring step increase.

Other contract changes approved include a three-year term for the licensed educators' contract (intended to provide consistency), expanded flexibility in holiday leave use, mid-year hires receiving two days of compensated onboarding, and an increase in sick-leave payout for eligible educators and administrators from $25 per day to $50 per day for employees with at least ten years of service.

Board members moved and seconded the ratification motion and the board voted to approve the agreements. District staff said a district-wide staff meeting the next day would review the changes with employees.

What happens next: the district will implement the contract language and communicate details to staff; a live staff meeting was scheduled to answer questions and explain adjustments. No line-item budget vote was recorded separately in the public meeting beyond the ratification vote.