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

Following 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.

The proposed 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.

Under the proposal, all food service employees would start contributing toward the employee insurance premium each month throughout the three-year contract.

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

Also on Wednesday, the school board will:

• Consider approving the traditional calendar for the district’s schools and the balanced year calendar for Northeast Elementary Magnet School for the 2013-2014 school year.
• Consider approving the evaluation instrument for non-certified personnel, excluding food service and custodial staff. The rating scale on the evaluation form would change to four ratings — excellent, proficient, needs improvement and unsatisfactory — from three ratings.
• Consider increasing DHS’ graduation requirements.

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

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

After a further review of the first increase in graduation credits, it is recommended that the Class of 2019, who will enter DHS in the fall of 2015, meet a 44-credit requirement.

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 has suggested that one of the four additional credits under the proposal be a required science credit, which would require students to take an extra semester of science.

• Consider approving 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.
• Consider approving 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.
• Consider approving the purchase of 21 band instrument cabinets for North Ridge Middle School for $18,578 from Shick School and Office Supply in Danville.

Coming Up

District 118 school board members will meet at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, at the Jackson Building, 516 N. Jackson St.