School board approves tiered pay MOU for associates, makes raises retroactive

The Ottumwa Community School District board approved a memorandum of understanding establishing tiered pay rates for associate positions and authorized the increases to be applied retroactively to the start of the school year.

District staff said the MOU formalizes new posting categories and adds differential pay for several associate roles. Under the agreement, health associates will receive an additional $0.50 per hour; special education associates in the newly defined Tier 2 positions will receive an additional $1.00 per hour; and existing preschool and safety/security associate postings will also receive an extra $1.00 per hour. The district said the differentials can stack when an associate holds multiple qualifying assignments.

John (staff member) presented the proposal and told the board the associate union has signed off on the agreement and the district will make the increases retroactive to the beginning of the school year. District leaders said postings will now include the new tier or category so applicants know the role and pay up front.

Board members and staff discussed recruitment challenges for associate roles, noting the positions’ 9-month work calendars make annualized pay appear smaller in each check if payments are not spread across 12 months. The district said it asked associates whether they preferred pay concentrated in the 9-month school year or spread across 12 months; most associates preferred annualized pay over a 12-month distribution and the district will continue offering Schedule E annualized positions for some roles. Mackenzie Baum (HR lead) is leading follow-up work, including onboarding improvements and weekly monitoring of vacancies.

The board also heard that the district is prioritizing Schedule E positions that offer greater annual earnings and health insurance benefits as a tool to improve retention. District staff said they are collecting tier-specific turnover data this year to see whether certain tiers have higher turnover and to target retention work accordingly.

The board moved and approved the MOU. No roll-call vote tally was recorded in the meeting transcript; the motion passed by voice vote.

District leaders said they will continue labor-management conversations with the associate union and track vacancy and attendance data to evaluate whether the pay adjustments affect hiring and retention.