The Perry Education Association and the District Administration convened Thursday afternoon to kick off the salary negotiation process for the next school year.

PEA President and vocal music director Jenn Nelson and other representatives — including special education teachers Trista Cohea and Mandy Meyers, industrial technology instructor Curt Cornelius, and District Librarian Mari Butler-Abry — presented their initial proposal to the administration for teacher salary increases. The Board Negotiation Committee — which consists of Superintendent Clark Wicks, Business Manager Kent Bultman, and School Board members Casey Baldwin and Jim Lutmer — took the recommendation under advisement and then presented two counter proposals.

The PEA was looking for a $700-a-year base salary increase, which would cost the District around $425,000 in next year’s budget. Nelson said they felt the raise was reasonable, as the recently approved State Supplemental Aid will give the District over $300,000 in new money. She also felt it would be a good figure to remain competitive in hiring and retaining staff. The counter offer proposals were an increase of $250 for next year, followed by a guarantee of $250 more the following year, or an increase of $300 but no promise for the year after. The increases would total around $250,000 and $300,000, respectively.

Wicks said he agreed with the teachers that they need to do what they can to attract and retain quality teachers, and he felt the PEA’s initial offer was reasonable. However, he added that the District also must remain sustainable, and he felt allocating all of the new state money plus more to salaries would be difficult to justify. The two sides will continue negotiations in a closed session towards the end of the month, likely coming to a compromise somewhere between the two proposals.