Timberlane board ratifies tentative agreements for four bargaining units, places measures on ballot
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Summary
After summaries from negotiators and administrators, the Timberlane board voted to ratify and place on the ballot four tentative collective-bargaining agreements covering paraeducators, administrators, administrative assistants/maintenance, and a new certified OT & SLP assistants unit; the board discussed cost, contracting language and staffing impacts.
The Timberlane Regional School District board reviewed and ratified four tentative agreements reached with district bargaining units, and voted to place each on the ballot for voter ratification.
Administrators said the district completed tentative agreements for four units expiring on June 30, 2026. Key points for each unit included:
- Certified occupational therapy assistance and speech-language pathology assistants (new unit, ~10 members): a three-year agreement that establishes a salary schedule, sets a seven-hour workday, includes health-concession language and includes management’s ability to contract temporarily if positions cannot be filled. Administration cited a three-year cost of $96,973 and a first-year cost of $61,378. A motion to ratify and place the agreement on the ballot was made by Shauna and seconded by Don and approved.
- Administrators unit (~28 members): negotiators developed a salary matrix to address pay disparities and improve hiring transparency. The three-year cost was presented as $416,848 with a first-year cost around $142,001; the board moved to ratify and place the agreement on the ballot and approved it unanimously.
- Administrative assistants, secretaries and skilled maintenance (including IT staff, ~48 members): a three-year agreement described as addressing varied duties and retaining probationary status; administration listed a three-year cost of about $496,000 with a first-year cost near $192,073. The board moved to ratify and place the agreement on the ballot and approved it unanimously.
- Support staff (paraeducators, ~132 members): a two-year agreement that compresses salary steps (from 23 to 12), adds pay for intensive special-education paraprofessionals, adds an extra professional-development day and includes health-insurance cost-sharing language. The two-year cost was presented as $1,188,052 (front-loaded); the motion to ratify and place on the ballot passed with an abstention recorded during voting.
Negotiators and administrators emphasized that contracting language was included as a management option to maintain required services if positions are vacant or staff are on leave. The board’s motions formally place each tentative agreement on the ballot, where voters will decide final ratification.