Fremont County Joint District #215 | minutes | meeting 2026-06-01 | Teacher Negotiations-Open Session - minutes source: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/ViewMeeting.aspx?S=36031552&MID=5571&T=1 Voting Members LaDawn Goebel, Teacher Rachel Thomsen, Teacher Becky Turpin, Teacher Dr. Brandon Farris, Superintendent Jamie Hymas, Human Resources Dr. David Marotz, Board Clerk I. Exchange and Discuss Proposals for the 2026-2027 School Year Superintendent Farris called the meeting to order at 2:06 pm. FEA President LaDawn Goebel presented a "Third Party Neutral Verifier" letter. President Goebel requested access to a room for caucus, Kate Nedrow and Karisa Phelps be allowed to join the caucus, and any of the three on the negotiating team can call for a caucus. Proposal presented by District and FEA.  See attached documents. Salary Schedule Agreed to keep the current salary schedule and honor movement. Insurance District.  Proposed adding the 16.5% increase to the individual insurance to be paid by the District.  Added the same amount to each other option as the prior year schedule. FEA. Proposed schedule adding 16.5% increase to individual and increase each other option proportionally. Agreed to accept the FEA proposal. FEA Additional Proposals RIF rubric (add as 11-5)  This would be in addition to the District's current Reduction in Force policy.  Flex Time (8-4).  Primary focus is to help address emergency or advocacy situations to allow this to happen within the statute.   District Additional Proposals Review wording of Master Agreement to align with recent legislation. Article 4.  Need to work together to revise this article.  Presented recommended changes from legal counsel.  Another option would be to eliminate Article 4, because the remaining provisions are already provided in other policy or procedure. Article 7.  The Sick Leave Bank section of this article needs to be moved to policy.  If it is kept in the Master Agreement, the committee would have to follow all other rules that now apply to the association regarding meeting times, use of email, etc.  District recommends moving this to policy. Article 9.  If the Insurance Committee is retained in this Article, the committee would have to follow all other rules as well.  District recommends moving this to policy.  FEA suggested this could possibly be addressed by the District Leadership Team. Caucus The FEA delegation requested time to caucus. After caucusing, the parties returned and presented their new proposals. RIF Policy District.  Do not add wording to the Master Agreement, but let's review the district policy and add a rubric as a form.  Encourage FEA to help review and revise the policy.  Recommend ed completing before July 1. FEA counter.  Those who fill out the form would be based on the units per elementary or secondary.  District agrees that a form could be developed and included in policy.  Discussed times for working on policies.  It would need to be approved by Board after two readings. Agreed that the RIF proposal will not be added to the Master Agreement.  A committee that consists of 50% teachers will review the existing policies and the recommendations and develop a revised policy, procedure, and forms as needed. Suggested that this be addressed in the fall, so the resulting policy could be in place prior to January. Flex Time: District.  If the primary intent is advocacy and emergency, we will work with legal counsel on appropriate wording.  The current proposal is too broad and can lead to very different interpretations based on building and principals.  Flex time could be considered comp. time, which is already prohibited in policy.   FEA.  Submitted ideas for wording.  We discussed the suggestions and still have questions on how to legally address ways to allow advocacy in policy or master agreement.   Agreed to throw out in exhange for adding Article 4 wording regarding advocacy.  This will need to be researched for the next meeting. Article 4: (Association Rights) Tentatively agree to change the wording as recommended by legal counsel and continue to work on advocacy language. Article 7: (Sick Leave Bank) Agree to move to policy.  We would need to review the draft policy and have one approved.  Request that 50% of the committee be teachers.   Article 9 (Insurance) Agree to proposed 9-1-1 changes stating insurance amounts. Move 9-1-3 to policy and 50% of the committee needs to be teachers.  Keep the "shall." Change dates in 9-1-4. Superintendent Farris called the meeting to order at 2:06 pm. FEA President LaDawn Goebel presented a "Third Party Neutral Verifier" letter. President Goebel requested access to a room for caucus, Kate Nedrow and Karisa Phelps be allowed to join the caucus, and any of the three on the negotiating team can call for a caucus. Proposal presented by District and FEA.  See attached documents. Salary Schedule Agreed to keep the current salary schedule and honor movement. Insurance District.  Proposed adding the 16.5% increase to the individual insurance to be paid by the District.  Added the same amount to each other option as the prior year schedule. FEA. Proposed schedule adding 16.5% increase to individual and increase each other option proportionally. Agreed to accept the FEA proposal. FEA Additional Proposals RIF rubric (add as 11-5)  This would be in addition to the District's current Reduction in Force policy.  Flex Time (8-4).  Primary focus is to help address emergency or advocacy situations to allow this to happen within the statute.   District Additional Proposals Review wording of Master Agreement to align with recent legislation. Article 4.  Need to work together to revise this article.  Presented recommended changes from legal counsel.  Another option would be to eliminate Article 4, because the remaining provisions are already provided in other policy or procedure. Article 7.  The Sick Leave Bank section of this article needs to be moved to policy.  If it is kept in the Master Agreement, the committee would have to follow all other rules that now apply to the association regarding meeting times, use of email, etc.  District recommends moving this to policy. Article 9.  If the Insurance Committee is retained in this Article, the committee would have to follow all other rules as well.  District recommends moving this to policy.  FEA suggested this could possibly be addressed by the District Leadership Team. Caucus The FEA delegation requested time to caucus. After caucusing, the parties returned and presented their new proposals. RIF Policy District.  Do not add wording to the Master Agreement, but let's review the district policy and add a rubric as a form.  Encourage FEA to help review and revise the policy.  Recommend ed completing before July 1. FEA counter.  Those who fill out the form would be based on the units per elementary or secondary.  District agrees that a form could be developed and included in policy.  Discussed times for working on policies.  It would need to be approved by Board after two readings. Agreed that the RIF proposal will not be added to the Master Agreement.  A committee that consists of 50% teachers will review the existing policies and the recommendations and develop a revised policy, procedure, and forms as needed. Suggested that this be addressed in the fall, so the resulting policy could be in place prior to January. Flex Time: District.  If the primary intent is advocacy and emergency, we will work with legal counsel on appropriate wording.  The current proposal is too broad and can lead to very different interpretations based on building and principals.  Flex time could be considered comp. time, which is already prohibited in policy.   FEA.  Submitted ideas for wording.  We discussed the suggestions and still have questions on how to legally address ways to allow advocacy in policy or master agreement.   Agreed to throw out in exhange for adding Article 4 wording regarding advocacy.  This will need to be researched for the next meeting. Article 4: (Association Rights) Tentatively agree to change the wording as recommended by legal counsel and continue to work on advocacy language. Article 7: (Sick Leave Bank) Agree to move to policy.  We would need to review the draft policy and have one approved.  Request that 50% of the committee be teachers.   Article 9 (Insurance) Agree to proposed 9-1-1 changes stating insurance amounts. Move 9-1-3 to policy and 50% of the committee needs to be teachers.  Keep the "shall." Change dates in 9-1-4. A. School District/Board (District) Proposals B. Fremont Education Association (FEA) Proposals II. Schedule Next Meeting Next meeting date to discuss changes to Article 4.   Wednesday, June 10 at 1:00 pm in the District Office. Work on wording for RIF policy. Next meeting date to discuss changes to Article 4.   Wednesday, June 10 at 1:00 pm in the District Office. Work on wording for RIF policy.