Bargaining Bulletin

A joint message from Bend-La Pine Schools and Bend Education Association.

The District presented its initial bargaining proposal on Thursday, May 18, as negotiations continue on a new labor contract. The current contract covering about 1,130 certified employees expires June 30.

In opening remarks, Board Chair Melissa Barnes Dholakia said, "The district shares the Bend Education Association’s interest in providing more resources to address the academic and mental health needs of our students. ... We want the resources to recruit, support and retain outstanding staff at every level of the organization. We need continued advocacy at the local, state and federal levels so that our schools have what they need for our students to thrive, now and in the future."

Superintendent Steve Cook addressed the limitations of the District’s budget, which was balanced for the coming year with about $5 million from reserves and the last of its one-time federal ESSER funds.

“It is not gamesmanship to say we are very concerned about funding; it is the reality of where our district is today,” Cook said, noting that the district serves 1,300 fewer students than prior to the pandemic, which has reduced enrollment-based funding.

The district estimates the BEA's initial proposal would require an additional $70 million to $80 million, approximately a 35 percent increase to the district’s $215 million budget.

“While it is certainly clear to the district team, we hope it is also clear to the BEA team and all BEA members that proposals such as [the BEA's] are not feasible,” Cook said. “We want to discuss realistic financial proposals that reflect responsible stewardship of the district’s budget and would not require radical cuts from one area of the budget to fund another area.”

The governor proposed $9.9 billion to fund schools in the coming biennium – $400 million short of what school districts say they need. There’s still time left to persuade legislators to increase education funding, which “has the potential to positively impact our budget,” Cook said.

You can read the full opening statement here.

The initial proposal presented by the District encompasses modest contract revisions and additions in a 53-page document. It is not offered as a comprehensive response or counteroffer to the BEA initial proposal, HR Director Steve Herron noted.

Here's a snapshot of key proposals:

Compensation:

• 2 percent cost of living increase in year 1
  
• 2 percent cost of living increase in year 2

Professional Improvement:

• Increase tuition reimbursement to 60 percent (from 50 percent) for courses undertaken as part of a district-approved program for obtaining an endorsement, a certification, a CTE license, or a degree.

Leave:

• A new subsection addressing Oregon Paid Family & Medical Leave Insurance, a new state program allowing employees to take up to 12 weeks paid leave in a 52-week period for family, medical, or safe leave. (See full proposal for details)
  
• Sick/personal leave may be used in one-hour increments if a substitute is not required by the district or if the district approves internal coverage.
  
• Clarifies that paid bereavement leave includes two travel days for out-of-state decedents, in addition to the bereavement days (one, three or five days, depending on relationship).

Reduction in Force and Recall

• Adds "cultural or linguistic expertise" to criteria for considering retention and recall of certified employees, consistent with new state law.
  

Work year:

• If a conference prep day falls on a Wednesday, that constitutes the scheduled teacher-directed School Improvement Wednesday.

• Certified employees may be required to attend up to four after-school/evening events per year, such as graduation, family engagement events, secondary open house, etc. as part of their professional responsibilities.

Teaching Hours:

• Clarifies that a normal, eight-hour instruction day applies to a 1.0 full-time equivalent certified employee.

• Daily prep time for specialists and itinerant employees may be satisfied by the weekly or rotational average.

• Certified employees with regular status FTE greater than or equal to 0.5 but less than 1.0 shall have a workday prorated proportionate to their FTE percentage.

District Rights:

• District shall have the right to conduct intermittent criminal background checks of certified employees to identify any post-hire criminal activity.

Personnel Files:

• Establishes "findings of misconduct and imposition of discipline" as exceptions to the complaints and documents that certified employees may request removed from their files.

Read District’s full initial proposal here.

Steve Herron, Team Lead - Chief Human Resources Officer

Melissa Barnes Dholakia - Board Chair

Steve Cook - Superintendent

Lora Nordquist - Deputy Superintendent

Kinsey Martin - Executive Director of Policy, Advocacy, and Equity

Katie Legace - Executive Director of High School Programs

Juan Cuadros - Executive Director of Middle School Programs

Tammy Doty - Executive Director of Elementary School Programs

Sean Reinhart - Executive Director of Student Services

Heidi Kim - Legal Services

Tammie Parker - HR supervisor

Sarah Barclay, Co-Chair – BEA President

Cindy Perkins, Co-Chair – Juniper Elementary

Bert Gottschalk, Elementary School Representative – Miller Elementary

Christine Clark, Middle School Representative – Sky View Middle

Jessica Colburn, Middle School Representative – La Pine Middle

Chris Kuka, High School Representative – Summit High

Cindy Holler, Counselor Representative - Sky View Middle

Karla Luff-Lopez, Special Education and High School Representative – La Pine High

Samantha Bushnell, Special Education Representative – Pine Ridge Elementary

Melissa Scherer, Special Education Representative – Jewell Elementary and La Pine High

Matt Mueller, Elementary Specialist Representative – High Lakes Elementary

Maria Vidas, ELD, Dual Language, and Multilingual Representative – High Desert Middle

Henry Kim, OEA UniServ Consultant

The District and BEA team will meet next on Tuesday, June 6, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Board Room at the Education Center.

Additional meeting:

Wednesday, June 14, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., Education Center

Negotiations are open to the public. Board Room seating is limited.