IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — There is a tentative contract agreement for teachers in the Idaho Falls School District 91. School district officials, along with the Idaho Falls Education Association, have agreed on wages for the upcoming school year. Both sides worked all day Friday to negotiate the agreement.
These groups have been trying to come to an agreement on how the money will be spent. Last week, the education association’s negotiator, Jake Snarr, said they were not happy with how the budget for contracts was originally presented to them this year. He said the budget was presented differently than in years past.
“The District’s representative didn’t make a financial proposal, but the District characterizes it as a financial proposal, but essentially it was just a number that they put across the table,” said Snarr. “It was about $35.3 million. They’re saying that they’re okay with anything that we do within that $35.3 million, but it’s up to us to figure out where all that money goes.”
Superintendent Karla LaOrange said the board proposed a different approach to the budget this year.
Instead of board members deciding how much money will go where, they’ll let the Education Association come up with a plan. The board told the education association how much money the state is providing and what requirements and laws need to be met.
“Giving that to the teachers to allocate the way that they think would best meet their teachers’ needs,” explained LaOrange. “So it is different, but it is still a proposal and one that has been used effectively in other districts.”
After the meeting Friday, Snarr said that while he was disappointed, the education association is not getting some things they asked for.
The teachers will need to ratify the agreement. A meeting has been scheduled for August 6th at 3:30 p.m. at Taylorview Middle School.
