Lawrence school board and teachers’ union negotiators Wednesday reached consensus on a one-year contract containing a 5 percent increase in salary and benefits.

This package, coupled with previous district budget commitments, will swallow approximately two-thirds of $4.7 million the school board is capable of generating with its two-phase plan of budget cuts and fee hikes. The board drafted the plan to make certain teachers got pay raises in 2002-2003 even if the state cut education spending.

“It took a lot of effort to get to the point to free up this money,” said Scott Morgan, the board’s vice president.

Most significantly, this new investment in teacher compensation means previous layoffs of 60 Lawrence teachers, nurses and counselors will stand.

And notable increases in student fees for enrollment, textbooks, technology and field trips will be implemented.

It also places junior high cheerleading, sophomore sports programs and jobs of secretaries and library staff on the bubble until the board puts final touches on a balanced budget.

After eight months of talks, negotiators for the school board and the 900-member Lawrence Education Assn. said they were pleased with the result.

“It’s amazing that the board could come up with this amount,” said Al Gyles, LEA’s chief negotiator and a Free State High School math teacher.

He said he regretted that the district had to scale back spending in ways that cost employees jobs.

“We don’t really want to see cuts happen,” he said. “We will definitely go on record as saying that.”

Mary Rodriguez, the district’s director of human resources, said the package was “very reasonable in light of the economic situation we have.”

The deal pending approval by the school board, possibly at a meeting Monday, and by teachers in mail balloting over a two-week period brings the maximum salary of a district teacher to $50,598, up nearly $1,000.

The starting wage for novice teachers climbed to $26,780, up $522.

Supt. Randy Weseman’s goal is to move the district’s teacher salaries into the top 10 in the state. Lawrence ranks 151st among 304 districts.

“We knew we had to do something about that,” Rodriguez said. “We’re not strong competitors with surrounding districts.”

Mick Lowe, principal of West Junior High School, said the focus on teacher salaries was a “huge statement” about the district’s priorities.

Lowe, a member of the board’s negotiating team, said teachers shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that colleagues in the district lost jobs to enable those remaining to receive a 5 percent boost in compensation.

Board member Linda Robinson, who just completed a trip around the state on behalf of Kansas University, said she had met many public school administrators who didn’t expect their teachers to get a raise.

“We’re in a very different position in this community than the rest of the state,” Robinson said.

Last year, LEA voted to accept a deal that increased salary and benefit compensation by 4.7 percent. Individual pay raises vary according to professional experience and educational advancement.