Battle Ground Public Schools

August 27, 2018

Dear families of Battle Ground Public Schools,

With school scheduled to begin this week on Wednesday, Aug. 29, we want to give you an update on what is happening with bargaining between Battle Ground Public Schools and certificated instructional staff, and encourage families to please develop contingency plans in case a settlement is not reached by Tuesday and the start of school is delayed.

The school district and the Battle Ground Education Association (BGEA) have not yet reached an agreement on salaries for certificated instructional staff. Teams from both BGPS and BGEA met in mediated bargaining on Sunday and will meet again tomorrow (Tuesday, Aug. 28). Information about current offers are on the district’s bargaining web page.

Battle Ground Public Schools is committed to continue bargaining with BGEA, and would prefer to have students in classes throughout the process. However, BGEA voted to strike if an agreement is not reached on Tuesday, the day before school begins. Families are encouraged to develop contingency plans in case a settlement is not reached by the first day of school and BGEA choose to strike.

If school is delayed, we will use all means available (including automated phone calls, email, website) to inform families on Tuesday.

What you need to know about Tuesday, Aug. 28:

• All back-to-school activities (including Freshman Day) scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 28 are still expected to happen.
• Cascadia Tech Academy and 49th Street Academy are closed on Tuesday, Aug. 28 as Evergreen Public Schools is closed due to the uncertainty of bargaining.

What you need to know if the start of school is delayed:

• Kindergarten parent-teacher conferences scheduled on closure days will be postponed.
• High school athletics will continue as scheduled with practices and games/meets/matches as the coaches are covered under a separate contract.
• Community education classes will continue as scheduled.
• Enrollment and registration is available online.
• School offices will be open the rest of this week.
• Lunch will be served to all children ages 1 to 18 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Maple Grove School, 610 SW Eaton Blvd. in Battle Ground. This is an extension of the summer meal program supported through a USDA grant.
• Students will still receive 180 days of instruction, which would begin once the work stoppage is over. The school year calendar will shift accordingly (i.e., the final day of the 2018-19 school year will be later in the summer—much like snow days are added to the end of the school calendar) and dates for graduation might need to be adjusted.
• Special Services preschools will close with schools.
• Prairie Preschool will close with schools.
• ESD 112 preschools (Southwest Washington Child Care Consortium) will continue as scheduled.

Thank you for your patience during this uncertain time. We will continue to provide daily updates as we work through the process with BGEA.

Battle Ground Public Schools