The Austin Public Schools board approved a new two-year contract that would give teachers a 1 percent increase in salary in 2015 and switch step changes over the next two years.

The board approved the contract with the Austin Education Association during its public meeting Monday, which eliminates the first step in wages for teachers while creating a new 10th step. Finance Director Mark Stotts said the new step, along with the slight wage increase in the 2014-2015 school year, would amount to about an 8.4 percent increase overall, including benefits, over the next two years.

“The schedule shifts down,” Stotts said, noting teachers would likely get 1.8 percent this year from step changes.

Teachers received a 1.5 percent wage increase last year from their last contract, negotiated in 2011. Before that, the last time teachers saw a wage increase was in 2009, due to a wage freeze.

Krenz receives favorable evaluation

The Austin Public Schools board commended Superintendent David Krenz for his work in the November levy referendum and his leadership in implementing the district’s strategic vision during a public meeting Monday.

“I think the whole community, you could tell, was on board with the district for the levy and that’s in part because of Mr. Krenz’s leadership,” board chairman Greg Larson said.

The board lauded Krenz’s role as a leader among the principals and for his forward thinking in a written statement. Krenz had “performed very well in his role as superintendent and exhibits a genuine passion for the education of … children in everything that he does,” according to the board.

“I’ve enjoyed working in the Austin community,” Krenz said. He said the evaluation was a reflection of the district’s team approach to education.