The Austin School Board on Monday unanimously approved a two-year contract that will give the district school secretaries a total package increase of 9.49 percent.

Secretaries will earn a 3.88 percent increase to wages and benefits this year, and a 5.61 total increase in the second.

The board approved the contract upon the recommendation of Mark Raymond, head of human resources for the district, who helped to negotiate the new contract with the Secretarial Union.

The increase reflects a
35 cents-per-hour increase for all secretaries in the first year; and a 30 cents per hour increase in the second year for only those on the fifth step of the salary schedule.

Raymond said due to health insurance increases of 12.6 percent in the first year and 9.9 percent in the second, much of the package increase went to the insurance package.

Language changes included having new hires earning sick leave at a rate of one sick leave day per month worked; and to sunset sick leave severance pay as of June 1 of this year.