It’s been a busy time for school districts in Monroe County as students have returned and classes are once again underway.

The Waterloo School District in particular has encountered a number of developments in just the past week, including a new contract with its teacher’s union, difficulties with district buses and construction progress at W.J. Zahnow Elementary.

At the time of the August school board meeting on Aug. 19, an agreement with the Waterloo Classroom Teachers Association had not been finalized, though an agreement was ultimately reached by the end of the week.

Waterloo Superintendent of Schools Brian Charron discussed the new teachers contract quite positively, noting the strong collaboration which took place between the school board and WCTA representatives over the summer.

The only issue he identified was the difficulty in balancing everybody’s schedules.

“I feel like this is a good contract between the board and the teachers,” Charron said. “It was a very mutually respectful process.”

WCTA President Renee Koeneman spoke about the contract at the recent school board meeting, likewise speaking positively.

Koeneman expressed her excitement at the meeting over how the agreement helps the school district stay competitive with other districts in the area regarding salary increases, benefits and other incentives to both retain faculty and staff and attract new employees.

Charron also spoke about the issue of competitiveness with the Republic-Times, acknowledging that neighboring districts broadly pay significantly more than Waterloo.

He further explained that the reason Waterloo seems to be behind when it comes to salary is largely due to a late response.

With the district operating under multi-year contracts, the process of meaningfully increasing salaries began somewhat later than other districts who started to respond to the ongoing teacher shortage much sooner.

Charron noted that the contract this year is set for two years, through 2026, rather than the anticipated three given the need to continue addressing the gap between Waterloo and other districts.

He also said Waterloo seems to be behind in its competitiveness due to a difference in access to resources and funding.

“It is not easy to compare one district to another because our access to financial resources varies, mainly due to varying tax bases and the amount of revenue districts can access,” Charron said.

Regardless of the gap between Waterloo and its neighboring districts which remains, Charron was positive and hopeful about the progress made with this latest contract.

“We are doing everything we can to maintain fiscal responsibility in our district while also increasing competition and benefits to our faculty to retain the talented teachers we have and improve our ability to attract new teachers to the district,” Charron said.

As Koeneman was positive about the contract at last week’s school board meeting, she was also quite happy following the finalized agreement.

Speaking about the district’s competitiveness problem, Koeneman noted that she and other WCTA representatives presented research to the board quantifying the issue.

As she described, Waterloo’s salaries fell behind every neighboring district save for Valmeyer, putting the district – and its faculty – in a difficult position.

“In the economy that we’re living in right now, everything is so expensive, and people were choosing to leave not because they wanted to, but other schools were trying to poach them,” Koeneman said.

While she acknowledged Waterloo is still behind districts like Columbia and Freeburg, the new contract does take a substantial step in closing the gap.

Koeneman identified a number of important items in the contract, including salary increases for incoming and veteran teachers.

She also noted the positive additions of bereavement days and language offering protection for teachers given an increase in behavioral issues among students in recent years.

She further mentioned incentives for saving sick days for teachers nearing retirement as well as improved pay for employees working events or other extracurricular activities.

Like Charron, Koeneman had positive things to say about how the board and WCTA managed to come together.

“We won a lot, but in my opinion it’s a win-win,” Koeneman said. “I told Mr. Charron, ‘You have teachers ecstatic. You have teachers ready for the school year.’ I mean, this is an excitement that the teachers haven’t felt in years. COVID did a real number on us, and it’s been hard for teachers to bounce back. They all got pep in their step now. They all feel appreciated.”

Though the new contract seems to be a high point for the district at the top of the year, busing is a major low.

Charron alluded to bus issues his district had faced in the first few days of school during the Aug. 19 meeting.

He expanded on these issues following last week’s meeting, noting how bus staffing was at a crisis level about two years ago but improved only to now be troubling once again.

“As we’re starting this year, this is probably the most challenging situation that we’re facing currently with the number of changes to bus routes due to not enough drivers on staff to handle the assigned bus routes,” Charron said.

He noted that hourly pay for drivers starts at over $20, with experienced drivers earning $25.

Still, bus drivers have been difficult to find. Charron said Illinois Central School Bus had been contacted about the issue, with plans set to bring extra drivers from the Chicago area down south.

Charron added that the reason for bringing drivers from Chicago rather than St. Louis is due to permit restrictions. Bus drivers trained in Illinois are allowed to drive in Missouri, but drivers from Missouri must also receive an Illinois permit if they wish to drive in their neighboring state.

He said parents can make use of the district’s “Here Comes the Bus” app to keep track of pick-up and drop-off times for their students, though the app’s bus tracking is hindered by changes in routes.

Route changes and other busing information is still expected to be communicated to parents through email and other means, per Charron.

“This is certainly a frustration for children, parents and all of us that is not acceptable in its current status,” Charron said.

Focusing on progress made at one particular Waterloo school, students at Zahnow Elementary now get to enjoy a new multipurpose room.

One of several steps in the renovation the school is currently undergoing, the multipurpose room opened Monday and stands in the space where the old offices were previously.

The room features an open space surrounded by a number of smaller nooks.

Charron noted how the room allows students to have a space for recess and other events when weather prevents them from going outside. The surrounding nooks also provide space for teachers to work with students.

“We are grateful that the project is a few weeks ahead of schedule and that we were able to gain access to what is now our multipurpose room at a very convenient time given the extreme temperatures that we are facing this week,” Charron said.

Zahnow Principal Justin Imm spoke about hopeful uses for the room with plans to use it as a space for family functions and reading nights. Some classes also made good use of it on the very first day it opened for reading time.

Like Charron, Imm voiced his happiness at the steady construction progress. He further commended Holland Construction for both getting ahead of schedule and for its excellent conduct around the students, offering updates, reading and even donating school supplies.

“They’re a phenomenal group to work with,” Imm said. “Their communication is great. They’re really good with the kids.”

Charron said completion of the rest of the Zahnow project was originally anticipated for mid-February, though – weather permitting – renovations could be completed in late January.