Battle Ground Public Schools Offers Enhanced Proposal To Teachers
- 09/04/18
In all-day mediated bargaining on Tuesday, Battle Ground Public Schools enhanced its multi-year offer to the Battle Ground Education Association (BGEA); however, an agreement has not yet been reached. The district is cancelling classes on Thursday, Sept. 6, as Battle Ground's teachers voted for a work stoppage if an agreement is not in place.
The district's enhanced offer would give teachers an average increase in total compensation of 11 percent in 2018-19, and an average increase in total teacher compensation of 20.3 percent over three years. Battle Ground would use all the McCleary funding sent for teachers' salaries and local levy funding for the increase. In addition, the district's proposal includes language around reducing Battle Ground's unfunded staff to bring district staffing into closer alignment with the number of staff funded through the prototypical school model.
BGEA countered with a proposed one-year increase of 19.7 percent to teacher compensation for 2018-19.
"Today's bargaining did not go as I had hoped it would," said Battle Ground Superintendent Mark Ross. "We expressed our concern again—that we are using all of the McCleary money that was designated for teacher's salaries ($69,219 average compensation) and using additional funds from our local levy to cover the cost of our proposal.
"We want to give fair compensation to our teachers, but we still have to be concerned about what is a sustainable amount given the deficits we will face over the next two years and the reduction in our local levy."
The enhanced district proposal includes the following salary levels for total teacher compensation:
2018-19 (excluding retirement and benefits)
- Starting: $47,482
- Top of Salary Schedule (16 years): $91,269
- Average total compensation for teachers: $74,043
2019-20 (excluding retirement and benefits)
- Starting: $48,716
- Top of Salary Schedule (16 years): $93,641
- Average total compensation for teachers: $77,858
2020-21 (excluding retirement and benefits)
- Starting: $50,177
- Top of Salary Schedule (16 years): $96,449
- Average total compensation for teachers: $80,193
More information is on the district's website: www.battlegroundps.org/bargaining.
Battle Ground Public Schools Offers Enhanced Proposal To Teachers
- 09/04/18
In all-day mediated bargaining on Tuesday, Battle Ground Public Schools enhanced its multi-year offer to the Battle Ground Education Association (BGEA); however, an agreement has not yet been reached. The district is cancelling classes on Thursday, Sept. 6, as Battle Ground's teachers voted for a work stoppage if an agreement is not in place.
The district's enhanced offer would give teachers an average increase in total compensation of 11 percent in 2018-19, and an average increase in total teacher compensation of 20.3 percent over three years. Battle Ground would use all the McCleary funding sent for teachers' salaries and local levy funding for the increase. In addition, the district's proposal includes language around reducing Battle Ground's unfunded staff to bring district staffing into closer alignment with the number of staff funded through the prototypical school model.
BGEA countered with a proposed one-year increase of 19.7 percent to teacher compensation for 2018-19.
"Today's bargaining did not go as I had hoped it would," said Battle Ground Superintendent Mark Ross. "We expressed our concern again—that we are using all of the McCleary money that was designated for teacher's salaries ($69,219 average compensation) and using additional funds from our local levy to cover the cost of our proposal.
"We want to give fair compensation to our teachers, but we still have to be concerned about what is a sustainable amount given the deficits we will face over the next two years and the reduction in our local levy."
The enhanced district proposal includes the following salary levels for total teacher compensation:
2018-19 (excluding retirement and benefits)
- Starting: $47,482
- Top of Salary Schedule (16 years): $91,269
- Average total compensation for teachers: $74,043
2019-20 (excluding retirement and benefits)
- Starting: $48,716
- Top of Salary Schedule (16 years): $93,641
- Average total compensation for teachers: $77,858
2020-21 (excluding retirement and benefits)
- Starting: $50,177
- Top of Salary Schedule (16 years): $96,449
- Average total compensation for teachers: $80,193
More information is on the district's website: www.battlegroundps.org/bargaining.
