WESTVILLE -- School officials on Wednesday approved a three-year contract with the teachers' union that includes salary increases for certified staff of just under 3 percent each year.

Westville School Board members approved the contract, which will be in effect through June 30, 2014.  Under its terms, the base starting salary will increase from its current level of $30,200 to $30,700 next year, and to $31,500 for the following year.  Certified staff will see raises each year of between 2.82 percent and 2.94 percent, and non-certified staff will receive increases of about 4.43 percent each year.

Westville Education Association President John Tosh said it was very easy to work with the district's negotiating team on the contract, and that the union members overwhelmingly approved the contract at a vote last week.

School Board President Janet Ragle said the two teams work well together on the terms of the contract.

Superintendent Jim Owens said he was happy to have a multiyear deal in place.

"This agreement is good for the district, and good for the WEA members," he said.

In other business, the board unveiled its proposed $10.8 million spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year, but Owens said he expects it to change before the board votes to approve it in September.

The budget currently contains a $323,000 surplus, but Owens said he expects the final version to contain a $500,000 deficit. 

First, the final budget will include an estimated 10 percent increase in health insurance costs.  Second, the district recently received a $250,000 state grant to improve energy efficiency.  The grant is reflected as income this year, but the money spent on the work -- along with $250,000 in matching district funds --will be shown as expenses in the upcoming year.

With the grant, the district will renovate the HVAC system in the 1982 addition on the north side of Westville High, replace some single-pane windows in that part of the school with more-energy-efficient double-pane ones, and add a vestibule near the entrance to reduce heat loss.

The board voted to increase lunch prices at Judith Giacoma Elementary School by 25 cents -- from $1.75 to $2 -- to bring them in line with the prices charged for lunches at Westville Junior High School and at Westville High School.