Medical Lake School Board ratifies employee contract

A month later than originally planned, the Medical Lake School Board officially signed off on a new three-year contract for teachers and classified employees in the district at its Sept. 25 meeting. The new contract provides teachers with a 9.76 percent salary increase.

“They did a nice job, both teams,” Superintendent Tim Ames told the board who approved the deal, minus Ron Cooper who was away on district business. “It was a great team effort.”

Under the deal, first-year teachers will be in the $40,000 and above range while veteran educators will earn between $83,000 and $85,000.

Also approved was a similar collective bargaining deal with classified employees who will receive a 5.5 percent raise after expecting 3 percent, Ames reported. “Kudos to the leadership,” he said of negotiations that seemed to be the envy of many districts across the state. In total, negotiations lasted just three hours, Ames said.

Board members also heard an update from Ann Everett, the district’s CTE/STEM Director/Elementary Assistant Principal who spoke to the rollout of a three-year $1 million grant from the Department of Defense.

Currently in the second year of the program, the newest element includes issuing ChromeBook tablet/computers to every Medical Lake High School student. So far, from both the teacher and student standpoint, the program has been well received.

Out of over 500 of the devices, under 10 have had any issues. Students are embracing the technology both at home and school. They have proved especially popular with students who have been unable to afford technology at home.

The devices are set up with safeguards to prevent users from visiting prohibited sites. “There have been no cases of abuse,” Trevor Meade, the districts head of technology said.

In the future that program of issuing the tablets will come to the middle school and elementary schools.

Ames reported that early in the school year, enrollment is up slightly over projections with 1,828 FTE’s. Specifically, Hallett Elementary had the biggest gains with 41 more students than previously figured. Anderson Elementary on Fairchild Air Force Base was down 21 and was a surprise to district officials. Also showing slight declines were the high school (-6), middle school (-4) and Endeavors, the former alternative school (-2).

The district is still trying to finalize its plans to build a new security fence around the back of the high school —now set for 8-feet as opposed to the original plan of 6-feet — but they are having trouble finding companies to bid on the project in a very busy construction climate.

Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].