News Summary

FRANKLIN — Board members are expected to approve a new three-year teacher contract today at is meeting.

The Franklin Education Association already approved the tentative agreement April 3.

It took only two days for the district and its teachers to reach a tentative agreement, said teachers union President Teresa Henderson, who called the negotiations the quickest she ever participated in.

Superintendent Douglas Lantz also positively described the negotiations.

The contract includes 2.75 percent pay raises the first two years and a 2.5 percent pay raise in the third.

Under the new agreement, teachers will devote eight more hours of their own time each year toward professional development. Tuition

reimbursement and the number of sick days teachers may accumulate also were increased.

If the board approves the contract Monday, it would go into effect Aug. 1. The teachers' current contract expires July 31.

Also Monday, the board will consider adding a community service requirement to participate in the high school graduation ceremony.

Under the proposed policy, which would take effect next school year, sophomores and juniors would be required to perform 20 hours of community service. Students may earn 25 percent of their 20 hours working at school.

The year the policy takes effect, juniors will only have to earn 10 community service hours.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2845 or cmagan@coxohio.com.