The Fort Dodge Community School District board approved agreements with three of its employee bargaining groups Monday night.

The district reached agreements with the Fort Dodge Education Association (teachers), the Maintenance Employees Bargaining Unit, and the Secretarial/Clerical Education Association.

All three contracts are for a period of three years.

The agreements are effective July 1, 2019.

“Appreciation to those of you on the bargaining group and also to all of the association groups,” Stu Cochrane, FDCSD board president, said. “It’s refreshing to see the negotiation process go like this. I think that’s the way it should be.”

Superintendent Dr. Jesse Ulrich said it was a historic year for negotiations.

“I checked with some of our local historians and I do believe this will be the first year that our teachers will receive their contracts on the first legal date that they can, which is March 15,” Ulrich said. “If it isn’t the first year, it is certainly a historical rarity that they are getting it this early. Again, that’s because of our association’s leadership and willingness to come to the table and compromise.”

The base salary for teachers will be $37,368, an increase of $200 from the 2018-19 agreement.

Teacher salaries increase based on a schedule. Their salary increases automatically for each year of service and for additional education or degrees they obtain.

The teacher group is receiving a 1.86 percent total package increase.

Starting wages for secretary/clerical positions will be $13.69. The starting wage for accounting employees will be $14.19.

The SCEA is receiving a 1.85 percent total package increase.

The MEBU — Custodial/Maintenance group is receiving a 1.76 percent total package increase.

Base wages for each maintenance position are as follows:

• Head custodian — $23.09

• Custodian — $22.79

• Maintenance A — $23.63

• Maintenance B — $23.33

• Engineer — Maintenance A — $23.63

• Engineer — Maintenance B — $23.33

• Bus mechanic — Class A — (includes 15 cents for tool allowance) — $23.78

• Bus mechanic — Class B — (includes 15 cents for tool allowance) — $23.48

• Bus mechanic master craftsman (includes 15 cents for tool allowance) — $24.63

• Master craftsman — $24.48