LA CENTER, Wash. — The first day of school for students in the La Center School District could be delayed. Teachers voted 75 to 1 to strike if no contract agreement is reached before the start of the school year.
Until then, the district and teachers will be bargaining, but if no deal is reached by Aug. 28, the first day of school, they plan to strike. Sports would not be impacted by a strike.
La Center was one of the only school districts in Clark County that avoided a strike last year. You may remember teachers picketing in the Vancouver, Evergreen, and Battle Ground School Districts.
Now, with about a week left until the first day of school this year, teachers in La Center are wearing red and picketing as well.
“We're trying to get a fair contract and a fair agreement,” said Denelle Eiesland, a high school physical education teacher and president of the La Center Education Association.
Benefits and leave are being discussed, but teacher salaries are the main issue. Eiesland said teachers in La Center are the lowest paid in Clark County.
“Thirty percent of our members reported that they are being forced to choose between their livelihood and what's best for their family, and staying in La Center,” Eiesland siad. “We're not talking just lowest paid, like right below. We're talking thousands of dollars less.”
The union wants the district to use all the money promised to them by the Legislature as part of the McCleary Decision, in which the state Supreme Court ruled that Washington was not properly funding public education.
“We are really, really focused on moving forward with all the McCleary money that was promised last year as part of the decision, kind of what surrounding districts also received,” Eiesland said.
The district said they are giving them all of that money and then some.
“I can guarantee every dollar of the McCleary money is reaching our teachers to the point of an additional, last year, an additional $649,000 and this year, with the current offer on the table of over $713,000, so that's above and beyond what the state is giving us to fund teacher salaries,” said La Center School District assistant superintendent Peter Rosenkranz.
Union members have also pointed out the district has grown their ending fund balance, which they believe is money that could be used for teacher salaries. The district, though, said that fund is essentially its savings account needed for emergencies.
“The La Center School District and school board are committed to paying our teachers everything, as much as we can to sustain our budget. As well, it has to be sustainable,” Rosenkranz said. “We saw many districts in the region negotiate unsustainable contracts and resulted in cutting programs for kids or staff, and we definitely don't want to put ourselves in that kind of situation.”
Bargaining will continue Friday morning with a state mediator and continue until an agreement is reached. The district said it plans to update its website daily with the latest information for parents.
