PASD board approves pact with paraeducators

Two-year agreement hikes salary steps, wages

PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles School Board unanimously approved without discussion a two-year contract agreement ratified by the Port Angeles Paraeducator Association on April 14.

The agreement approved Thursday increases the number of salary steps with a 1.8 percent wage bump at each step.

It also adds enhancements for paraeducators with more than 12 years of experience.

After working without a contract since Sept. 1, the 130 members of the PAPEA walked off the job April 8 and were joined by members of the teachers union, closing Port Angeles schools for five days.

The Teamsters, which represent mechanics and maintenance workers, and the Port Angeles Activity Advisors’ Association, which represents coaches, have yet to reach agreements with the district.

Two parents of children who attend district schools spoke during public comment, encouraging more engagement between the board, parents and the community and suggesting ways in which they could all work together to avoid future labor disruptions and strengthen the district’s financial security.

“We are looking to be involved,” Jessica Pankey said. “We’re just wanting to be part of the solution so that we can advocate appropriately with the Legislature and the opportunities we have to represent our school district as parents.”

Ned Hammar, MD, offered a short vocal and acoustic guitar introduction to his comments.

“We recognize the pressure you are under, and have to make extremely difficult decisions,” Hammar said of inadequate state funding that has squeezed the district’s budget. “We want to come to the table and work with you and advocate with you when the school bond and levies come up this fall so that you feel like we have your back and we feel like you have our back.”

Director Mary Hebert suggested the board find a way for it to work with those who had reached out and address the concerns they had raised.

“I’m grateful that people are here tonight to voice their interest in supporting us and finding out ways to do that,” Hebert said.

The board agreed to place a discussion on the agenda for its next meeting on how to best engage with parents and the community to work successfully together.

Enrollment fuels school district funding and Port Angeles saw a slight uptick in March, Superintendent Marty Brewer said. So far this month, there are 3,351 FTE students — up from 3,323 in March but still below the 3,365 the district had budgeted for the school year.

Th district’s online learning program, Seaview Academy, over the past few months has added 41 students, many of whom don’t live in the district.

“A lot of the increase at the academy is related to high school students trying to recover courses to graduate,” Brewer said. “Many of the big ALE [alternative learning experience] service providers won’t allow you to share an FTE.”

Port Angeles takes a portion of the FTE and allows the student to remain in his or her district which takes the remaining FTE— 0ther ALEs have “all or nothing” policies, Brewer said.

The board heard a report from family navigators Alicia Scofield and Summer Cooper and supervisor Tanner Zahrt on how the program supported students who faced significant barriers to accessing education, including poverty, food insecurity, homelessness and being in foster care.

There are 187 students enrolled in the district who are homeless — an almost 60 percent increase from 118 students during the 2022-23 school year. These students lack fixed, regular and adequate housing and live in cars, motels, emergency shelters or substandard living places.

Since the family navigator program began as a pilot in the 2018-2019 academic year, attendance for students who were homeless has increased and behavior incidents have decreased.

The program has helped about one in 10 of district students in a variety ways. Scofield and Cooper distribute food and gas cards, as well as clothing and toiletries, transport students and families and make home visits to help families connect with social services.

Brewer reported the capital project levy for Stevens Middle School had collected about $32 million toward its $52 million goal. When all of the funds of are collected in 2025, construction of the new school can begin.

The district spends about $1 million a month for school supplies and $ 4 million in staffing and benefits.

Roosevelt Elementary School sixth-graders Mila Johnson and Brendan Walters received certificates as the district’s students of the month.

________

Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.

More in News

Residents of various manufactured home parks applaud the Sequim City Council’s decision on Dec. 9 to approve a new overlay that preserves manufactured home parks so that they cannot be redeveloped for other uses. (Matthew Nash/Olympic Peninsula News Group)
Sequim preserves overlay for homes

Plots can be sold, but use must be same

A ballot box in the Sequim Village Shopping Center at 651 W. Washington St. now holds two fire suppressant systems to prevent fires inside after incidents in October in Vancouver, Wash., and Portland, Ore. A second device was added by Clallam County staff to boxes countywide to safeguard ballots for all future elections. (Matthew Nash/Olympic Peninsula News Group)
Political party officials fine with Clallam’s loss of bellwether

With election certified, reps reflect on goals, security

For 20-plus years, Bob and Kelly Macaulay have decorated their boat and dock off East Sequim Bay Road for Christmas, seen here more than a mile away. However, the couple sold their boat earlier this year. (Doug Schwarz)
Couple retires Christmas boat display on Sequim Bay

Red decorations lit up area for 20-plus years

Hurricane Ridge day lodge funding held up in Congress

The fate of $80 million in funding to rebuild… Continue reading

Judy Davidson, left, and Kathy Thomas, both of Port Townsend, look over the skin care products offered by Shandi Motsi of Port Townsend, one of the 20 vendors at the second annual Procrastinators Craft Fair at the Palindrome/Eaglemount Cidery on Friday. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Procrastinators Market

Judy Davidson, left, and Kathy Thomas, both of Port Townsend, look over… Continue reading

Services could be impacted by closure

Essential workers won’t get paid in shutdown

A now-deceased male cougar was confirmed by Panthera and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife staff to have been infected with Avian influenza on the Olympic Peninsula. (Powell Jones/Panthera)
Two cougars infected with bird flu die

Risk of human infection still low, CDC says

D
Readers contribute $58K to Home Fund to date

Donations can be made for community grants this spring

Jefferson Elementary School in Port Angeles designated Thursday dress up like a candy cane day. Back row, from left to right, they are: Wyatt Farman, Ari Ownby, Tayo Murdach, Chloe Brabant, Peyton Underwood, Lola Dixon, River Stella (in wheelchair), Fenja Garling, Tegan Brabant, Odessa Glaude, Eastyn Schmeddinger-Schneder. Front row: Ellie Schneddinger-Schneder, Cypress Crear, Bryn Christiansen and Evelyn Shrout. (Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News)
Dress like a candy cane

Jefferson Elementary School in Port Angeles designated Thursday dress up like a… Continue reading

EYE ON THE PENINSULA: Jefferson commissioners to meet on Monday

Meetings across the North Olympic Peninsula

A 40-year-old Quilcene man died and a 7-year-old boy was airlifted to a Seattle hospital after the car in which they were riding collided with the back of a school bus on Center Road on Friday morning. (East Jefferson Fire Rescue)
One dies in two-vehicle collision involving school bus

A 40-year-old Quilcene man died and a 7-year-old boy was… Continue reading

Iris McNerney of from Port Townsend is like a pied piper at the Port Hudson Marina. When she shows up with a bag of wild bird seed, pigeons land and coo at her feet. McNerney has been feeding the pigeons for about a year and they know her car when she parks. Gulls have a habit of showing up too whenever a free meal is available. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Feeding the birds

Iris McNerney of from Port Townsend is like a pied piper at… Continue reading