LAS VEGAS (KSNV & MyNews3) -- Teachers' paychecks just got smaller, thanks to an arbitrator who today sided with the Clark County School District.
The ruling rolls back raises teachers received at the beginning of the year. They received the raises when the school year began, because the district and the teachers' union could not agree on a new contract.
When that happens, the salaries revert to the last contract, which awarded teachers more money this year.
The district says teachers will not have to pay back the raises they've received for the past five months.
In handing out his decision today, arbitrator Jay Fogelberg stated, “that this decision is being made with the assumption that their (CCSD) stated goal of hiring more teachers was made in good faith and will now be put into effect.” Furthermore, the arbitrator stated that “achieving Administration (CCSD’s) stated objective of reducing student/teacher ratio should not be balanced exclusively on the backs of existing staff.”
Statement from Superintendent Dwight D. Jones regarding teacher contract arbitration decision"The District is relieved today that the arbitrator chose our contract proposal because it will help us balance our budget, which has been cut by $550 million over the past six years. This decision supports the District's priority to put more teachers back into classrooms.
"Over the past few years, our teachers have shown that they can do more with less, raising standardized test scores in almost every grade and every subject level. I am proud of the perseverance they have shown in difficult economic times, and I know they do it because they love our students and want them to succeed.
"At some point, though, less just becomes less. Our state has some difficult funding decisions ahead to support our efforts to increase student achievement in the Clark County School District. We cannot simply continue to cut and ask employees to do more with less.
"We will continue to work with our employee groups through this legislative session to highlight the need for a more balanced and equitable approach to funding public education."
