KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The Kalamazoo Public School board has declared an impasse with its teachers’ union over contract negotiations, but apparently, it’s no big deal.
For now, they are stuck on just one issue, the school calendar, which district administrators are anxious to make public, with school starting late next month.
“We just needed to do this to release our calendars so students and parents and teachers can start planning for the year,” says superintendent Dr. Darrin Slade. He adds the declaration allows them to proceed with work on that item in the contract. The board of trustees doesn’t meet again until next month.
Kalamazoo Education Association president Heather Reid says it’s a complicated “puzzle” that takes time every year to put together.
“We are almost done with the calendar, we are close, and indeed the parties still are working on some things that we haven’t ironed out,” she says.
Overall, Dr. Slade says he thinks the talks are going well with the KEA.
“I think it was just some miscommunication, nothing contentious and Miss Reid is right I think it was just some miscommunication over the past couple weeks.”
Assembling the school calendar is a little more complicated this year, because the district has dropped trimesters and is going back to semesters, which changes many of the dates.
The three most important dates have been set. The first day of school will be August 25th, Christmas break will begin December 22nd and classes will resume on the 5th of January.
Trustees also approved a contract with the UAW, which represents principals and other school administrative staff. It was ratified by a unanimous vote of the union membership this week, and by trustees Thursday evening.
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