ORIGINALLY WRITTEN LINDSAY ADRIAN
As contract negotiations near between USD 410 and its employees, the process of how negotiatiins are best done seems to be the current focus of the district.
At its regular board meeting Monday night, USD 410 invited a representative from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to talk to the board.
FMCS is a non-political federal agency serving Kansas and Oklahoma in conflict resolution.
John M. Doern, a commissioner for FMCS, introduced an alternative strategy for contract negotiations.
This new strategy of negotiating is called “Interest-Based Bargaining. ”
“We are trained to be traditional, to be positioned,” Doern said.
IBB replaces that traditional position-based bargaining with a process of joint problem-solving.
“There is no voting; it’s 100 percent consensus,” Doern said,
The central theme of IBB is mutual gain through consensus with both parties’ interests being represented in the solution. By using this process, problems are often resolved before they become grievances.
“We’re going to change the way we talk, the way we act,” Doern said.
IBB has become one of the most requested programs of FMCS. Other school districts, including Peabody-Burns and Herington, have adopted for this alternative and experienced positive results.
“The reason this works well is because you bring to the table only the issues that need to be resolved,” Doern said.
If USD 410 were to adopt the program, an initial two-day training period would be required of the two negotiating teams. Yearly “brush-ups” also would be required, Doern said.
Doern admitted the process is slow at first, but the program has proven to be successful.
The board also considered a request from Kirby Fadenrecht, vice president for business and finance at Tabor College, that the board consider a joint effort to pave the parking lot of Reimer Field.
Because Tabor and USD 410 share Reimer Field, the district considered Fadenrecht’s request.
But the district has prioritized other improvements on Reimer Field that will directly affect students.
Superintindent Gordon Mohn said the lighting needs improvement. If it is not improved it may become a matter of safety, Mohn said.
Activities Director Max Henrichs addressed concerns with the middle school basketball schedule.
The main issue is the distance driven to games over 60 miles away, particularly to Hoisington and Ellinwood. In order to arrive on time to the game, students would have to miss part of school and arrive home late.
But in order to stick to the league policies, no motion was volunteered and HMS will follow the current schedule.
Other items the board discussed:
— The board agreed to remove the assistant baseball coaching position from Dustin McEwen’s supplemental contract and add the head baseball coach and winter weight room supervisor positions to his contract.
— The board approved the motion to remove the winter weight room supervisor position from Matt Carroll’s supplemental contract.
— Gordon Mohn’s contract as superintendent of schools was extended for three years.
— Executive session was held to discuss negotiations, teacher evaluations and the superintendent’s evaluation.
— The board approved the motion to allow Marion County Parents as Teachers to use the district’s 1994 Ford Crown Victoria for transporting one of the parent educators and to charge PAT gasoline costs for using the vehicle.
