Board approves cheerleaders, teacher salary increases

Basketball cheerleading returns to Luverne High School after a 17-year absence.
School members met in special session Monday evening and unanimously supported senior Syndal Pick’s request to add cheerleading back to the winter activity offerings.
Pick talked with board members at their Nov. 23 meeting. Because her request was not an agenda item, board members postponed any decision until their next meeting.
The board unanimously approved Pick’s request.
Football cheerleading coach Leah Radisewitz agreed to be the basketball cheerleading coach.
Radisewitz, who attended Monday’s special board meeting, expects the squad to begin cheering at the home girls’ and boys’ basketball games in January.
Consideration of Radisewitz as basketball cheerleading adviser at a stipend of $1,588 is proposed for action at the board’s Dec. 23 meeting.
 
Teachers get 3-percent pay hike this year,
2.5 percent next year
Board members also unanimously adopted a two-year agreement with the Luverne Education Association at Monday’s special meeting.
Licensed teachers will receive a 3-percent salary increase in the contract’s first year and a 2.5-percent increase for 2022-23.
Group insurance contribution will not increase for the 2021-22 school year but will increase 3.5 percent the second contract year.
Early Childhood Family Education teachers receive an additional day of personal leave under the new agreement and will now have three days, matching other licensed teaching staff.
The district will be responsible for 100 percent of substitute costs for Days 1 and 2 of personal leave. The teacher remains responsible for substitute costs for Day 3.
Total cost to the district under the master agreement is $1.76 million over two years.