Sterling Public Schools to post amended budget, ratify contract with teachers

STERLING — Sterling Public Schools will post an amended budget for the 2021-22 school year and will be asked to ratify a four-year collective bargaining agreement with the district’s teachers union when the board of education meets 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Sterling High School Library.

The amended budget, which will be available for public review before a public hearing on May 25, has greater revenue and expenditures than the original budget.

The plan was to spend nearly $52.4 million of an anticipated $53.91 million in revenue. The revision shows additional revenues of $70.75 million with spending a little more than $59.67 million.

The collective bargaining agreement includes salary increases of 5% in the first and second year of the contract and increases of 4% in the third and fourth years.

There will also be votes on changes to the student handbook and a vote on a number of second readings to bring board policy in line with state law. There will be first readings on other policies. In all, there are changes to nearly a 100 pages of material.