Teachers, District Still Deadlocked After Long Talks

After 14 hours of negotiations on Saturday, little progress has been made between the educators’ bargaining team and the school district. Talks are scheduled to resume tomorrow.

According to a source who attended today’s teachers’ union meeting but was not authorized to speak publicly, at least 18 issues remain unresolved. Chief among them is class size, with educators seeking guarantees of para-educator support when class numbers exceed what they describe as “reasonable levels.” Ensuring manageable class sizes remains a top priority in the discussions.

If no agreement is reached by September 2nd, teachers are expected to vote that same day on possible job actions, including the option to strike.

Union representatives emphasize that their proposals are not aimed at exceeding the district’s budget. Instead, they say the demands are designed to directly benefit students by addressing overcrowded classrooms and ensuring adequate support.

Teachers had previously agreed to temporary concessions to help the
district build its reserve fund, according to a memorandum of
understanding. Those concessions were intended to be short-term, but the
district is now seeking to make most of them permanent, with the
exception of furlough days.

Educators have also raised concerns about class sizes, citing
elementary classrooms with up to 36 students and no para-educator support, as well as middle and high school classes with as many as 50
students.