There will be no further layoffs or program cuts made in the Sewanhaka School District because the teacher's union agreed to forego their previously agreed upon increase for next year.
The teachers in the district are in their second year of a three-year contract, explained Superintendent Warren Meierdiercks. The teachers were scheduled to have a 2.9 percent increase in their pay in the third year of that contract, but through the district renegotiation, that will not happen.
"We are very appreciative of the teachers for helping us to preserve jobs and programs," Meierdiercks said.
He added that this was a "big help" in saving the district $2.1 million and cutting the tax levy down to 5.2 percent, which represents a 3.8 percent increase from the previous year. The last version of the budget included a 7.2 percent tax levy, which would have been a budget-to-budget increase of 5.4 percent.
Meierdiercks considers this version of the budget "very reasonable."
