IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho Falls School Board and School District #91 are negotiating with the Idaho Falls Education Association to reach an agreement on their new budget.
The Education Association is using a federal negotiator to discuss contracts, and D-91 is using their own attorney. The Education Association’s negotiator, Jake Snarr, says they are not happy with how the budget was presented to them this year. Snarr says the budget was presented differently compared to previous years.
“The [School] District’s representative didn’t make a financial proposal, but the District characterizes it as a financial proposal,” Snarr said. “But essentially it was just a number that they put across the table. It was about $35.3 million. They’re saying that they’re okay with anything that we do within that $35.3 million, but it’s up to us to figure out where all that money goes.”
The Education Association has some issues with this budget proposal because it doesn’t seem specific enough, and the budget includes more than just salary.
“The public probably has a concern that the teachers have a contract by the time that the school year starts, not just because that they’re paid, but because the only part of the last contract that rolls forward in the interim is their salary,” Snarr said. “It’s not the terms and conditions of the contract.”
Snarr says he looks forward to working with the School District and thinks this can be figured out before the new school year begins. He says mediation with School District #91 will start again on August 1st.
Local News 8 has reached out to District #91 and we are waiting to hear back from them.
