The Willapa Valley School District and teachers reached terms on teacher salaries. The contract was approved at the Willapa Valley School Board meeting on November 13. Signifying an end to a long and tense back and forth between the district and teachers.
Background
The school district and teachers began talks just before the end of the 2017-2018 school year with both sides unable to compromise. The tension carried over to the 2018-2019 school year with teachers returning to work without a contract. Early talks were often met with a stalemate and both sides at a disagreement. Instead of making students suffer and teachers taking to the picket line teachers decided to return to work without a contract in a good faith move that let the situation calm down and then resumed talks.
Mid October talks resumed and began at square one according to Superintendent Nancy Morris. The district decided the best course was to request the two sides go into mediation and come to terms. Once mediation started both sides quickly began sorting the details out and reached a deal allowing everyone to move on with the year. The district and teachers were involved in approximately 15 negotiations before mediation brought both sides unity.
The Deal
Willapa Valley teachers and the district were able to sit back and observe the deals South Bend and Raymond School Districts reached. A decision that worked out for both sides in the end. Valley Teachers will now have some of the most competitive salaries in the area with a raise of 24.5% across the board. The minimum salary begins at $45,801 and the maximum salary tops out at $85,187. The salary does favor younger teachers and was a concern experienced teachers such as Ann Taylor brought up early on in negotiations.
According to Morris, the district during the previous school year conducted a survey to see where some teachers were at in their careers. They wanted to get an idea of how many were considering retirement and when. "I think that did play a role in the salary schedule we agreed too," she said. "We really needed to have wages that not only helped us retain our senior teachers but also would attract younger teachers. We have two other districts nearby we need to be competitive with."
Back pay
Now that the district and teachers agreed to a contract the question remains how teachers will receive their back pay. They have several options such as a lump sum or to divvy up the sum over the remaining months of the school year. If the teachers decided to take a lump sum they could potentially be hit by a larger tax that could take close to 30% of it. However, many see the extra funds coming just before Christmas as a huge plus.
The Toll of Tense Talks
The school board meeting on November 13 didn't only see an end to the tense contract negotiations. It also saw two board members resign. Tom Walker and Josh Christian served on the board for a combined 25 years and leave gigantic holes to fill. The district is now looking for two Willapa Valley residents who are interested to serve on the board for the remainder of the term that lasts until next fall. "We need to get the word out that we are looking for some applicants," Morris said. "Once we get enough the remaining board members will appoint two candidates after interviews. If we don't have the positions filled within 90 days ESD 113 will step in a fill them so we can keep moving along."
Walker and Christian have been unreachable for comment. The board, administrators, and teachers have long been unhappy with how the state pushed school districts and teachers against each other. "The state put us all in a very uncomfortable situation and I'm sure it didn't help," Morris said. 'But, they both have children who are getting older and I think they reached a point where it was just time to step away and focus on other things. I am happy for them."
Once the two positions are filled the appointees would have to choose to run for the position in the fall of 2019. Another board member, according to Morris, is mulling whether to run for reelection next year also. "We have the potential for three positions to be open next year," Morris said. "It's just the way it goes and I am sure we will get some interest from some citizens. Times change and that's just where we're at."