Battle Ground Public Schools

Sept. 6, 2018 

Dear families of Battle Ground Public Schools,

Battle Ground Public Schools is cancelling classes on Friday, Sept. 7.

UPDATE Sept. 7, 2018: Battle Ground Public Schools and the Battle Ground Education Association (BGEA) continued bargaining for 14 hours on Thursday with the state-appointed mediator but have not yet reached an agreement on teacher compensation. Bargaining teams are scheduled to meet again on Friday.

The district’s bargaining team presented new proposals to the Battle Ground Education Association (BGEA) in mediated-bargaining that lasted until 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday; however, the teams have not yet reached an agreement.

The district will be back in mediated bargaining on Thursday morning and is committed to the bargaining process and providing fair compensation to teachers that is fiscally responsible and sustainable. Battle Ground schools would prefer to have students in the classroom during the bargaining process; however, Battle Ground’s teachers voted for a work stoppage if an agreement is not in place.

The district’s most recent proposal would give teachers an average increase in total compensation of 11.5 percent in 2018-19. Battle Ground would use all the McCleary funding sent for teachers’ salaries and local levy funding for the increase. In addition, the district’s proposal includes language around reducing Battle Ground’s unfunded staff to bring district staffing into closer alignment with the number of staff funded through the prototypical school model.

BGEA countered with a proposed one-year increase of 19.5 percent to teacher compensation for 2018-19.

More information about the district’s offer and the bargaining process is on the district website: www.battlegroundps.org/bargaining.

While schools are closed:

• High school athletics will continue as scheduled as the coaches are covered under a separate contract.
• Community education classes (including Tigerland Preschool) will continue as scheduled.
• Enrollment and registration is available online.
• School offices will be open through Friday, Sept. 7.
• Lunch will be served to all children ages 1 to 18 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Kiwanis Park, 422 SW 2nd Ave. 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.
• Kindergarten parent-teacher conferences scheduled on closure days are postponed.

Preschool information:

• Special Services preschools will close with schools.
• Prairie Preschool will close with schools.
• Tigerland Preschools open Sept. 10 and 11 and will operate as scheduled.
• ESD 112 preschools (Southwest Washington Child Care Consortium) will continue as scheduled.
• EOCF preschools will continue as scheduled, Educational Opportunities for Children and Families.
• EOCF Head Start preschools open Sept. 10 and will operate as scheduled.
• ESD 112 ECEAP preschools (Early Childhood Education Assistance Program) open Sept. 10 and will operate as scheduled.

Thank you for your patience during this time. We will continue to provide updates as they occur.

Battle Ground Public Schools