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In this interview, Julie Nawrocki, the past president and current advisor for the Idaho Falls Education Association (IFEA), discusses the stalled contract negotiations with District 91 (D91). She explains that the difficulty stems from the district introducing an unprecedented 57 proposed changes—far more than the typical zero to five from the district and 10 to 20 from the union. This heavy workload extended the negotiation time and led the district’s legal representative to push the process into mediation early, which the union viewed as stalling tactics.

Nawrocki clarifies that the current sticking point is not primarily salary, despite initial focus on a mere $4 annual raise for long-tenured teachers due to legislative mandatory minimums. Instead, teachers are rejecting the contract over the removal of long-held provisions related to academic freedom, anti-retaliation clauses, discrimination statements, and protections for the educational environment. She suggests that the board and teachers are caught in the middle of a power struggle with the administration. Nawrocki stresses that teachers feel a “lack of transparency” and “lack of trust,” and simply want to feel “respected” and “heard.” She believes that if the board concedes on just a few key items, such as the restoration of leadership stipends, committee inclusion, and December bonuses, the contract would likely be ratified. She confirms that the IFEA represents over 50% of the district’s teachers in bargaining.