TEACHERS TO REVIEW SALARIES

After months of negotiations, Cape Girardeau public school teachers today will vote on a salary increase for the coming year.

A general meeting of the Community Teachers Association will be held at 4:45 p.m. If teachers approve, the salary proposal goes to school board for approval in August.

Also today, teachers will hear presentations from two managed care insurance companies -- Humana and MidAmerica HealthNet Blue.

After listening to presentations by both companies, teachers can vote for their preference.

Salaries are accepted through a "meet and confer" process between teachers and administrators. Once a teachers' salary committee agrees, the executive committee of the Community Teachers Association votes. If approved, the proposal goes to a vote of CTA members.

In a typical year, the salaries would be approved by April or May. This year, negotiations were held up because of increases in insurance costs.

Myrnita Grantham, a veteran of the teacher's salary committee, explained that until the cost of insurance was settled, teachers and administrators didn't know how much money would be available for salaries.