DANVILLE — The Danville District 118 school board on Wednesday ratified a collective bargaining agreement for the district’s food service workers.

After mediation, the district’s negotiating team reached a tentative agreement earlier this month with Local 399 for a three-year contract beginning fiscal year 2012-2013 for the district’s 115 food service workers, 90 of whom are represented by the union. The union ratified the contract on Jan. 17.

Greg Lazzell, director of food service for the district, told board members the agreement is “mutually beneficial” for both parties.

The contract includes a 60-cent an hour pay raise in the first year of the contract, a 25-cent raise in the second year and 20-cent raise in the third year.

An additional level was added to the salary schedule to increase the base pay after two years of service for kitchen helpers. An additional level also was added to the salary schedule to increase the base pay from one to four years and for years five through nine for assistant managers.

All food service employees also will start contributing toward the employee insurance premium each month throughout the three-year contract.

In the first year, employees will pay $10 per month; in the second year, they will pay $11 per month; and in the third year, they will pay $12 per month.

Also on Wednesday, school board members:

• Honored two teachers and a teaching assistant for 40 years of service to District 118. Leola Davis, a fourth-grade teacher at Northeast Elementary Magnet School; Stephanie Wiggam, a third-grade teacher at Cannon Elementary School; and Linda Parson, a job coach for special needs students, were recognized.
• Approved the traditional calendar for the district’s schools and the balanced year calendar for Northeast Elementary Magnet School for the 2013-2014 school year.
• Approved the evaluation instrument for non-certified personnel, excluding food service and custodial staff. The rating scale on the evaluation form will change to four ratings — excellent, proficient, needs improvement and unsatisfactory — from three ratings.
• Increased DHS’ graduation requirements.

The DHS Graduation Review Committee recommended that the number of credits needed for graduation be gradually raised to 44 credits from 40 credits.

An increase to 42 credits will begin with the Class of 2017 who will enter DHS in the fall of 2013.

A 44-credit requirement will begin with the Class of 2019 who will enter DHS in the fall of 2015.

Currently, DHS students are required to take a minimum of eight credits of English, six credits of math, five credits of social studies and four credits of science.

Danville High School Principal Mark Neil told the board he would like one of the four additional credits be a required science credit, which would require students to take an extra semester of science in their junior year.

“We will have to increase the science staff by one teacher to accommodate the change in credits,” Neil said.

• Approved entering into a technology lease agreement with HP Financial Services for $12,478 a month for five years to replace 336 desktop computers and 371 laptop computers. The total purchase price for the equipment is $685,770.
• Approved the purchase of property at 203 E. Fairchild St. from Iroquois Federal Savings and Loan for $15,000 plus closing costs. The property is located across from Danville High School and is adjacent to the north campus parking lot.
• Approved the purchase of 21 band instrument cabinets for North Ridge Middle School for $18,578 from Shick school and Office Supply in Danville.