During their last regular meeting, the Churchill County Board of Trustees ratified the agreement with the Nevada Classified School Employees Association for a 12% raise this year and a 4% raise next year, Fiscal Years 2023-24 and 2024-25, respectively, for a $1,447,484 increase to the district budget.
Board members also approved the agreement with the Churchill County Education Association, which provides for a 12.75% raise this year for licensed employees and a 4% raise next year, along with an adjustment to personal days, as well as bringing the salary placement in line with Nevada Revised Statute so that new hires are granted the entire amount of experience as long as that doesn’t exceed the salary table. The impact on the budget for these increases will be $3,875,112.
Superintendent Derild Parsons thanked the associations and the district negotiation team for their work in reaching the agreement.
Monica Mayfield, a third-grade teacher who has spoken at several board meetings, thanked the district for taking a step in the right direction. “Thank you for the hope these increases have given many teachers, and thank you for valuing our profession,” she said. “There have been many hours spent in negotiations, and it is time to move forward together. As my third graders say, ‘Teamwork makes the dream work.’”
In other business, trustees voted against offering early retirement incentives for the 2023-24 school year. Parsons said with so many open positions, it doesn’t make sense to offer the buy-out incentive and then turn around and hire those folks back to fill empty positions. “As part of the negotiated agreement, the board will notify in September of each year of the intent to offer the incentives in the spring of the following year or not so that people have the opportunity to plan,” he said.
A resolution prohibiting the teaching of certain concepts based on various classifications regarding an oppressor class, inherent discrimination, moral superiority or inferiority, adverse or affirmative treatment, and responsibility for past acts of others was presented and, after lengthy discussion, failed for lack of motion. Attorney Sharla Hales said similar resolutions were passed two years ago by Lyon County and last year by Douglas County under great contention. Many teachers expressed ardent reservations about the resolution, saying it would muzzle their ability to hold thoughtful, factual, respectful conversations.
Board President Tricia Strasdin said the resolution would “indicate we don’t trust our teachers to have certain conversations. I would hate for a teacher to be scared or feel unsupported and not conduct a necessary conversation or exchange of ideas. Teachers are thrust into these situations because students trust them.”
Additionally, trustees considered the issue of transportation of athletes and the difficulty in providing transportation to away events because of the desperate shortage of bus drivers. They agreed to hold one hearing to take action to revise the policy on transportation to allow parents to transport athletes in certain circumstances. They will come back to that discussion with further details and proposals.
The school board meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 5:30 in the district office in “The Pit” at 690 S. Maine Street. Agendas and packets are available on the district website, churchillcsd.com, under the “Our District” tab.
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