ASHLAND — With the start of the school year just around the corner, Ashland City Schools board of education and the district’s teachers have reached a deadlock in contract negotiations.
The impasse will result in later building opening times and possibly delayed class start times at three of the district’s five school buildings.
Negotiating teams for the Ashland City Teachers Association and the district board have met approximately six or seven times this summer to iron out the details of a new contract, according to ACTA president Melissa Baker. The teachers’ previous contract ran from 2016 through 2019 and expired June 30.
Last week, the board declared an impasse, causing negotiation meetings to cease.
The next step after an impasse is reached is independent mediation and fact-finding, but Baker said the mediation process can be lengthy and teachers are eager to bring the negotiations to a resolution.
“We would like to get things moving as soon as possible,” Baker said. “The teachers are willing to go back to the table to discuss the contract. We want the school year to start smoothly. That’s our goal, to do the best we can for the students of Ashland.”
Approximately half the district’s teachers attended a meeting Monday to hear an update on the negotiation process and to provide input to union leaders and the union’s negotiating team.
Teachers are expected to wear red to a district-wide staff meeting Wednesday and to continue wearing red on Wednesdays in a show of solidarity for the union.
According to information being circulated among union members, the teachers’ message to parents and the public is, “We are excited about seeing our students; however, we are concerned about starting the school year without a contract. We are wearing red on Wednesdays because that’s our ‘team color’ and we are supporting our team of teachers.”
Baker said while she could not discuss details of contract negotiations, there are still “a lot of sticking points” separating the two sides.
District superintendent Doug Marrah said though he believes misinformation is spreading in the community, the law surrounding the contract negotiation process requires him to refrain from sharing details.
Rumors of a potential teachers’ strike began circulating this week, but union leaders say the teachers are far from taking that kind of action.
“No teacher has been directed from ACTA to say anything about a strike,” ACTA treasurer Rich Wasowski said. “We don’t want a strike, and we don’t see a strike as in the best interest of the students or the district.”
Though a strike is not imminent, student supervision at the beginning of the school day could be an issue when students start school Monday, Aug. 26. That’s because teachers will be working shorter days and coming in later than they have in the past few school years.
Marrah said teachers received an annual stipend in their 2016-2019 contract in exchange for working 7 hours and 30 minutes per day rather than their previously contracted 7 hours and 5 minutes.
The 7 hour and 30 minute provision and its accompanying stipend ended June 30, so teachers will now be working 7 hour and 5 minute days, per their contract. According to Baker, in-class time in Ashland City Schools buildings ranges from about 6 hours and 55 minutes to 6 hours and 57 minutes.
To ensure buildings are not open without adequate supervision, district leaders have decided to open building doors later in some of the district’s buildings.
Marrah said doors will open at 8:15 a.m. at Reagan and Edison elementary schools and at 8:25 a.m. at Taft Intermediate School. Building opening times will remain unchanged at the middle and high schools.
Building administration and staff will attempt to begin classes by 8:30 a.m. at the elementary schools and 8:35 a.m. at the intermediate school, but Marrah acknowledged there may be some delays. He also said there is a possibility of some students waiting on buses upon arrival during the first few days of school.
Parents will be notified about the changes during back-to-school nights as well as through the district’s electronic alert system. Information will also be posted on the district’s website.
Without their stipends for working extended days, some teachers may actually start the school year earning less than they earned last school year. Others may see an increase in pay if they reach a new step on the salary scale.
Teacher pay varies greatly based on teachers’ experience and education levels as teachers receive step increases throughout their career.
The average teacher in Ashland City Schools last year had 16 years of experience and received a salary of $56,033, according to data from The Ohio Department of Education’s School Report Cards. When compared with similar school districts in the state, average teacher pay in Ashland ranks 12th out of 20 districts.
