Goodrich-After entering into executive session on Monday, the Goodrich Area Schools Board of Education voted to discontinue giving additional money to various staff such as bus drivers until an agreement is reached with the Michigan Education Association. Trustee Jeff Engleman dissented and trustee Michael Thorp was absent.
Superintendent Kimberly Hart said for the previous school year, the district had decided to pay bus drivers extra for circumstances such as fueling, shuttle runs and field trips. However, said Hart, these bonuses were given as part of a good faith effort as the district and former union representative AFSCME attempted to come to some agreement. Because an agreement seemed close at hand at that time, said Hart, the district decided to give the additional pay, but has decided differently for the upcoming school year since the educational support staff (which, according to MEA representative Dianne Bregenzer, includes drivers and maintenance workers) joined with the MEA.
‘We went all last year trying to settle,? said Hart.
‘We’re not taking away raises,? said board president Michael Tripp, ? we’re going to rescind the raise that we thought we had settled on when they were in AFSCME. When they joined up with the MEA all of that went back to square one.?
Bregenzer saw things differently.
‘They have repudiated the (tentative agreement),? said Bregenzer. ‘I was told the board also voted to implement the calendar.?
Bregenzer was referring to the unanimous decision of the board Monday to enact a temporary calendar for the upcoming school year. The calendar has been the subject of a two year debate, with the MEA arguing for a 198- day school year,and the district fighting for fourteen fewer days. With a reduced calendar year, the school could save as much as $50,000 for each day school is not in session. However, Bregenzer argues the loss of 14 days is the equivalent of a seven percent reduction in pay for staff.
The tentative calendar is set at 186 days for teachers, 182 for students.
Hart said the calendar is by no means set in stone, but is rather a sort of jumping-off point to put some structure to the school year.
‘We had to have a start date for teachers,? said Hart, adding the calendar is subject to change, pending bargaining.
Tripp agreed that implementing a calendar was a necessity.
‘We kind of had to do that. We were getting a lot of inquiries from the parents wanting to know when about school dates. It was kind of an obligation that we had to plan those things.?
‘I haven’t gotten any written information from the board,? said Bregenzer, ‘At this point I’m just going on hearsay… but if that’s true (the MEA) will likely be filing for unfair labor practices.?
Bregenzer explained that because she was on vacation and had not attended the board meeting, nor had the chance to seek legal counsel, she could not speak in terms of definite action the MEA would take.
Goodrich Area Schools have been on the MEA’s ‘critical list,? since last year, when efforts to reach a contract were deemed by the union to have broken down.