Sixth-grade teacher and union leader Wayne Kruse walks a tightrope.

The balancing act requires he advance collective salary demands for all 900 certified district educators as president of Lawrence Education Assn. But that advocacy places in peril staff, like himself, who may lose jobs as wage increases draw down the district’s cash reserve.

Many positions on the block are those employing people who directly support classroom teachers.

“We know we need to improve teacher salaries,” Kruse said. “However, if we couple that with the fact that the more money we ask for the deeper the cut will be in our public school system, we’re walking a very, very, very fine line in trying to focus on our interests and our membership.”

Last year, LEA members approved a contract with an average 4.7 percent increase in salary and benefits. In 2000-2001, they accepted a 3.3 percent increase. The year before it was 3.5 percent.

The next negotiation session for the 2002-2003 contract is set for Wednesday at district headquarters, 110 McDonald Drive.

Kruse said he was disappointed the 2002 Legislature approved a mere $20 increase in base student aid to Kansas school districts. In Lawrence, that new money won’t raise school employee salaries 1 percent.

It costs about $1 million to give all district employees a 1 percent raise and meet automatic pay increases teachers get for another year’s service.

“We don’t feel we should shoulder the responsibility for the Legislature taking no action, basically, on funding public schools,” Kruse said.

In March, the school board prepared a two-phase, $4.7 million list of budget cuts and fee increases in anticipation of hard times. It appears all $2.86 million of the first phase will be enacted. The $1.84 million phase-two list was prioritized by the board in the hope the entire package wouldn’t be necessary.

Kruse said negotiators know higher salaries will immerse the district further into the cut list: extra student fees, deletion of junior high cheerleading, sophomore sports programs and, of course, jobs on the line.

“Just look at those phase-two cuts,” Kruse said. “You get the idea of the deeper impact. It’s a balancing act, to say the very least.”