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41 °F 5 Day Forecast Thursday, December 4, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend November 26, 2003 Medford schools call on outside voice for teacher talks By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune A deepening budget hole has forced Medford schools to hire an independent negotiator to open potentially difficult contract talks with teachers over salary freezes and other hot topics. "We’re going to get a frosty reception from teachers, and I don’t blame them, but I don’t know what else the district can do," said school board member Peggy Penland. The district, which hasn’t used an independent negotiator in at least 10 years, wants to discuss the 3 percent annual salary increase that it is contractually obligated to give to teachers. It also wants to negotiate insurance benefits, in-service days, increasing the standard class size by two students and the possibility of decreasing the number of classroom assistants. Between days cut from the last school year, smaller salary increases and paying more for insurance, teachers already have given back roughly $4 million to help the district through this financial crunch, say teachers and district officials. Advertisement "We’ve given up a lot and we will be less likely to want to give things up," said Cheryl Lashley, president of the Medford Education Association, which has about 650 members. School board member Joe Frodsham said the district needs to open the contract because "we don’t have enough money to meet our obligations." The district, already hard hit by larger classes and fewer teachers, stands to lose $6 million next school year if an income tax surcharge is shot down by voters in February. In the past, the district has faced stiff opposition in other negotiations, said Frodsham. "They had two or three hired guns from the (teachers’) association," he said. "We sit there by ourselves." Any of the potential cuts that will be discussed in negotiations would affect the amount of money teachers receive or place more of a burden on their classroom time. To make major dents in this budget problem, Frodsham said the district must look at its biggest expense: salaries. "The question is: What are we supposed to do since we don’t have the ability to print money?" he asked. Superintendent Dick Gregory said the district will hire a negotiator from the Oregon School Boards Association at $85 an hour, plus travel and expenses. He expects it will cost about $7,500 to $10,000 total. No matter what the outcome of the negotiations, which could begin in December, the scenario looks grim for the district. "Anyway you slice it you end up hurting kids," he said. This year’s general budget is $79.6 million, down from $82.5 million. For every 1 percent the district doesn’t provide in salary increases, it saves about $1 million. For every day it cuts from the calendar year, it saves $250,000. And, if all classroom assistants were cut, the district would save $3 million. Jim Bond, who represents the Oregon Education Association, said teachers accepted a 1 percent increase this year, rather than the 3 percent set by their contract. "We negotiated that without any fanfare," he said. "It was done with a couple of meetings with the superintendent." He disputed the contention that negotiations have been heated in the past, or that the district needs a hired gun to deal with the OEA and MEA. The biggest battle is not with the district, Lashley said, but with getting voters to understand what’s at stake for children in already crowded classrooms. "Our first defense is we’re going to fight like crazy to get the referendum in February to pass," said Lashley, who also teaches a second-third-grade blend at Howard Elementary. Based on an average wage of $36,000 in the state, Lashley said the income tax surcharge amounts to just $43 annually, which would prevent these additional cuts to education. She realizes it is going to be difficult to persuade people to support the tax. "As long as the doors are open and the buses are running, parents believe everything is status quo," she said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times