Pay raise of 4.25% vs. 3%, elimination of top pay tier among issues causing impasse in school district contract negotiations

Veto override of $200 BSA increase during special session could fund cost difference, but union representative says differences go beyond just money

Thunder Mountain Middle School, where the Juneau School District’s administrative offices are located, on Friday, June 27, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Independent)

An impasse in Juneau School District contract negotiations now involves a much smaller difference in wage increases than at the beginning of the year. But a major sticking point remains the district’s proposed elimination of the top pay tier for senior teachers, according to officials and documents published this week.

The district is also offering lower health insurance benefits and preparation time for some teachers than sought by the Juneau Education Association, which represents about 275 teachers and certified staff.

The impasse was announced last Thursday in a joint statement by the district and JEA, with both parties agreeing to mediation and blaming uncertainty about state funding as a key cause of the stalemate. A special legislative session is scheduled to begin Saturday, with the top item expected to be an override vote for Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of $200 out of a $700 increase in per-student education funding.

"If they come to town and they override the veto, and that extra $200 per-pupil funding is released, then my hope is that would solve the problem," said JEA Past President Chris Heidemann in an interview Tuesday.

The veto cost the district $1.4 million, according to documents posted at the district’s website. A statement published at the site Tuesday noted JEA’s current offer would cost about $1.84 million for the current fiscal year while the district’s offer would cost $673,127 — a difference of about $1.17 million.

But Heidemann said there are also sticking points in the negotiations that go beyond the amount of funds available. Among them are what he called a drastic reduction in preparation time for teachers and the repeal of a " maintenance of standards" clause.

"(That) provides protection for teachers in the contract for things that are not specifically written into the contract so they can expect that the terms of their employment will remain the same, even if things aren't explicitly written into the contract," Heidemann said.

The district, in a statement published on its website Tuesday, noted it is facing threats to funding at the federal, state and local levels — resulting in both a tenuous and unpredictable financial situation. Those uncertainties include the Trump administration’s cuts to federal programs and a pending state proposal that may significantly reduce funding municipalities can provide to districts.

"Members of the Board of Education remain committed to a fair and respectful bargaining process," the statement notes. "We deeply value our teachers and the critical role they — and all staff — play in the success of our students. We remain committed to working through the formal negotiation process to reach a fiscally responsible and sustainable successor agreement."

The district also published copies of the "last best offers" by both the district and JEA — each of which is 78 pages and identical in language except for a few key provisions — noting it was to fulfill state transparency requirements.

"However, the upcoming mediation, and any future arbitration, or reopened negotiations will be kept confidential or non-public in accordance with the parties’ ground rules or rules for those proceedings," the website states.

Key differences in the two offers to establish a new three-year contract between the district and educators include:

• A wage increase of 4.25% during the first year sought by JEA, compared to a 3% increase offered by the district. The district initally offered a 2.5% salary increase and JEA sought a 10% increase when negotiations began in February.

• The district is offering to pay $1,664 toward health insurance, while JEA is seeking $1,704 per month. The district’s offer also contains a passage stating "when the final contract day ends in May, the district will provide health insurance in June for those educators who were contracted more than ninety-one (91) days and are on contract on the last day of the school year."

• The district’s proposal eliminates the top-tier "Step 18" pay classification, placing those educators at Step 17. Teachers, during embittered testimony before the Juneau Board of Education, have denounced that as an insulting pay cut for the district’s most-experienced educators.

• JEA’s proposal states "Middle School educators shall be provided a period of ninety (90) minutes per day for preparation time during the student day." The district’s offer provides those educators the same 250 minutes a week that high school educators get in both proposals.

A stalemate resulting in mediation also occurred during the previous contract negotiations three years ago. That impasse declared in December of 2022 was resolved when JEA members narrowly approved a new contract in May of 2023. It provided a 2% pay increase the first year, 2.5% the second and 3.25% the third.

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.