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Tonganoxie USD 464 discusses mediation adviser

By Shawn Linenberger - | Jan 12, 2017

Tonganoxie USD 464 is exploring the use of a mediation service as it moves forward in collective bargaining between the school board and district teachers.

Peggy A. McNeive with Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service spoke at Monday’s school board meeting.

McNeive said her office is in Kansas City, Mo., and that she is available to the district to for training in different types of bargaining methods, both for board members and teachers.

The group provides bargaining mediation, relationship development and training, education, outreach and advocacy with regard to collective bargaining processes, grievance mediation and alternative dispute resolution. The group also provides arbitration services.

FMCS is an independent agency under the Taft-Hartley amendments of 1947.

It’s a neutral agency designed to assist labor and management. It’s costs are covered through taxes already earmarked for the agency. More about the organization can be found at fmcs.gov.

Board members and teachers in attendance showed interest in the service, but a specific date for a first meeting wasn’t scheduled. The board did, however, vote for its negotiation representatives — President Michelle McGhee and fellow members Kaija Baldock and Phillip Welsh.

Retirements

District personnel whose retirements the board approved were Ursula Kissinger, TES physical education teacher, effective end of 2016-17 school year; Kathy Powell, TES fifth-grade teacher, effective end of 2016-17; Ramona Dibble, TES second-grade teacher and TMS volleyball assistant coach, effective end of 2016-17; Kathryn Nolan, THS language arts teacher, effective end of 2016-17.

Work agreements

The distict approved these work agreements; Cara Bremer, mail carrier (replacing Julie Price), 2016-17; Josey Eastes, eighth-grade boys basketball assistant coach (replacing Brandon Parker), 2016-17; Colby Yates, TMS boys basketball assistant coach (replacing Bill Benson), 2016-17.


Resignations

The district had two official resignations this month: Julie Price, regular route bus driver and mail carrier, effective Dec. 16; Bill Benson, computer technician and TMS boys basketball assistant coach, effective Jan. 3.

New positions

The board approved these new positions for the district: functional special education teacher, 2017-18, and adaptive special education teacher with emphasis in autism, 2017-18.


Another resignation

At the end of the meeting, School Board Vice President Dan Hopkins wished technology director David Milhon good luck with his new position.

Milhon will work for k12itc, a technology company out of Kansas City, Mo., that works exclusively with school districts. Milhon had been in the Tonganoxie district for about 9 1/2 years. His resignation likely will be officially voted on at next month’s meeting.