Fergus Falls Teachers Battle with School Board Over Salaries

A teacher’s plea for fair treatment goes viral.

Some teachers in Fergus Falls say they don’t feel appreciated by the school board during salary negotiations.
 
The board says it’s offering teachers what it can.

Fergus Falls Schools had been on shaky financial ground.

Now that things are looking a little better, the two sides can’t decide how to spend what extra money the district does have.

“Something is not quite right“.
 
The words of Third Grade teacher Vicki Hanneman, a teacher in Fergus Falls since 1986, in a viral video taken at a school board meeting.

Teachers can’t agree on a new contract with the school board.
 
“They’re pretty far apart,” Hanneman says. “It’s not a big space, but it is if you’re negotiating.”
 
Most teachers automatically get a $1,000 raise for each year they teach in the district. Beyond that, teachers are asking for a raise of at least 1.7% over two years.

The raise the board is offering?

Less than half a percent.
 
“We want to appreciate our staff,” says School Board Chair Matt Lemke, “but we also have to keep in mind where we are financially.”

Lemke says money is the problem.

The district is getting a nearly $65,0000 bump in state funding for the next two years.

Under the board’s proposal, most of that extra money will go to teacher salaries.
 
“Everything except about $21,000 of that,” Lemke explains.
 
Teachers in Fergus Falls say they put more time and money into their classrooms than people might realize.

In fact, Hanemann says she buys shelves full of books for her students with her own money.

So teachers say a little extra money is only fair.
 
“We’re just asking for a small raise so that we can keep up with the bills that we have too,” adds Special Ed Teacher Barb Zempel.
 
The district recently dug itself out of financial troubles.

Fergus Falls was running under Statutory Operating Debt a few years ago.

Now, with a little money in the bank, teachers say they want to be rewarded for sticking through the tough times.
 
Hanneman says, “We feel we aren’t jeopardizing the school budget by asking what we’re asking.”
 
Whereas the board says giving in to the teacher’s request could lead to program and staff cuts at the schools.

A state mediator is helping the two sides come to an agreement.

The next negotiating meeting is scheduled for late March.

The big question is, are teachers willing to strike over this?

Teachers we talked to say they are not.

They don’t want to do anything to jeopardize the education of kids in the district.