Teacher contract agreement settled & ratified

South Bend School District and the South Bend Teachers Association have reached a 3-year contract agreement.  After a mediated bargaining session this last Sunday, a tentative agreement was signed yesterday (Monday, 9/17), and ratified by the board and teachers this afternoon.

Both sides worked tirelessly during the three negotiation meetings that were held over the last 4 weeks.  I want to thank teachers Heidi DeLap, Neomi Kuiken, Barbara Lester, Julie Lorton, and Lori Dearmore for their hard work and dedication to the process.

We are fortunate to have a great staff in South Bend who all love kids.  On behalf of the board and the entire district, we are excited to continue our work on the many great things happening in our school.  Team work is alive and well at South Bend School District, efforts that continue to make South Bend, "A great place for kids."

Parent & Community Update

A Message to the Parents and Community Members of South Bend School District

As you are aware, South Bend School District is in the midst of contract negotiations with our employees.  The classified employee group (bus drivers, paraprofessionals, custodians, cooks, secretaries, etc.) reached agreement with the district in August and have since ratified.  However, negotiations with the South Bend teachers continue.  Most recently, the district has requested the assistance of the Public Employment Relations Commission and will be moving forward under mediation.

Because children are now in the midst of school, the school board of directors and I believe our parents and community deserve to be fully aware of the current status of teacher negotiations.  In an effort of full transparency, the district will be posting information relevant to teacher negotiations on our district website.  This information will also include up-to-date developments that may impact school operation.  Please visit www.southbend.wednet.edu to access this information.

The first priority for all of us at South Bend School District is the education of our community’s children.  The board and I have full confidence in the process of coming to resolution with our teachers, and our goal is to come to a fair and sustainable agreement quickly.