By Jon A. Brake

The Big word for the Manhattan School District teachers is "IF". The teachers will receive an extra $90,000 to split 475 ways IF the State of Kansas raises the Base from $3,870 per student to $3,890 pre student.

That would be about $190 per teacher. The teachers will get a 3 1/2 percent increase, IF the State comes thru, it would be 4 percent.

In all the School District will pay a total of $19,198,223.00 for Salaries and benefits. That total is 35% of this years Budget of $54,666.783.

The District is working on the 2002-03 Budget and it will not go down. They will talk about cuts in spending but when the total budget if approved it will have millions added to last years Budget.

This Issue of the Free Press is the Annual USD 383 Salaries issue. All salaries of the 475 teachers and 29 Administrators and 21 Coordinators/Managers will be in this issue and next weeks Free Press.

The average salary this year is $40,417.31. That is up from the $37,000 in 1997. The School District will work for two more meetings before agreeing on a new higher Budget.