Sioux City School District teacher and other unionized employee pay rates are being bargained, and the district has offered a much lower package than the employees have sought.
Last week, Sioux City Education Association teachers asked for raises of $1,742, or 4.5 percent, to the base salary in the 2024-25 year ahead. On Wednesday, school district officials countered with an offer of a $45 increase to the base salary.
The teachers also asked for an increase in longevity pay of $1,500, and the district offer in reply was $45.
Also, members of the Sioux City Education Support Personnel Association group, which includes paraeducators, administrative assistants, library and other workers, asked for raises of $2.10 per hour. The district initial offer was an increase of 42 cents per hour for the support personnel.
Union official Brenda Zahner said an extra factor is impacting the teacher salary negotiations this year, as the Iowa Legislature is considering a proposal to raise the minimum salary in the state to $50,000.
Once the opening proposals are unveiled, Iowa law permits the subsequent negotiations to be carried out privately. The Sioux City Education Association represents 1,100 teachers, and 400 workers are represented by the Sioux City Education Support Association.
In other news, Iowa House lawmakers have passed a bill that would allow school districts to use state funding to pay for guns for staff members.
The school safety infrastructure bill requires schools to carry out comprehensive safety reviews and creates a pilot program for firearm detection software. It also creates a grant program that would allow school districts to use state funds to purchase guns and firearm training programs for staff.
Democratic House Representative Jennifer Konfrst opposed the bill, saying she’s concerned about using taxpayer dollars to put guns in schools.
Also in the Legislature, a bill proposed by Governor Kim Reynolds that would have defined man and woman in Iowa law based on a person’s sex assigned at birth appears to be dead for this legislative session.
It failed to advance ahead of this week’s so-called funnel deadline. House Speaker Pat Grassley said Republicans may continue that conversation, but for now they couldn’t reach consensus.
Additionally, the price of gasoline continues to go up in Siouxland.
The price of regular unleaded gasoline rose 3 cents this week, averaging $3.17 across Iowa according to AAA. The price was well below $3 for much of January and February, and now the statewide average has gone up three weeks in a row, including 10 cents combined over the last two weeks.
Many Sioux City and surrounding towns are selling unleaded this week in the range from $3.04 to $3.19.
Compared to one year ago, the current $3.17 average price is down six cents. The national average unleaded gas price is $3.40.
Additionally, the Sioux City Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau is broadening its reach, and rebranding from Explore Sioux City to Explore Siouxland.
That change was announced in a Thursday release, with the goal to be more regional in outlook, said Kristi Franz, the executive director of Explore Siouxland.
The communities, attractions, events, and restaurants of greater Siouxland will be increasingly promoted, including in Nebraska and South Dakota through the new Explore Siouxland version.
