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Douglas County trustees deny two union contracts, cite multimillion‑dollar shortfall

Douglas County School District No. Re 1 · December 19, 2025
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Summary

Trustees rejected a bus‑drivers contract and a teachers’ (DCPEA) agreement this meeting, citing a projected multimillion‑dollar deficit; both denials direct the superintendent to return to the table for negotiations in January.

Douglas County School District trustees voted this meeting to reject two negotiated labor agreements, saying the district’s deteriorating financial outlook makes the contracts unaffordable.

On the bus drivers’ agreement, trustees voted to deny the Chapter 6 contract after hearing Human Resources Director Jeannie Dwyer outline negotiated language clarifying route and maintenance hours and a small PERS‑related cost. The board also denied the contract with the Douglas County Professional Education Association (DCPEA), after administrators presented a fiscal impact slide showing approximately $920,000 in added costs for the 2026 budget year.

Trustee Adam Zinky moved to deny both agreements during separate agenda items; both motions passed by voice vote. Trustees who supported denial said the district is in a severe fiscal position and must demonstrate restraint; those opposing the denials emphasized the cost of reopening negotiations and the possible effects on staff morale and student services.

Despite the rejections, trustees unanimously directed Superintendent Alvarado to reopen negotiations with each bargaining unit in the New Year. "We are grateful for our bus drivers and our teachers," the chair said after the votes, "but the budget situation forces difficult choices." The board and administration agreed to resume bargaining in January.

What the board did not approve: the contracts as presented. What happens next: the superintendent was instructed to return to the bargaining table and report back to the board after the holidays.

Action items/authority: motions to deny were formal board actions recorded on the meeting record and are reflected in the board’s actions list for this meeting. The board relied on advice from human resources and legal counsel that ratified negotiated agreements must be approved or denied in full (not in parts).