A motion to hire Anchorage attorney John Sedor to advise the Ketchikan School District during ongoing teacher contract negotiations is back in front of the Ketchikan School Board on Wednesday.
The contract with Sedor would authorize spending up to $75,000. He would work on behalf of the district during planned arbitration, which was scheduled after both negotiating teams declared an impasse in late May.
Since then, the district replaced some negotiators on its team and the school board expressed optimism that the change would result in some positive movement.
The board postponed action on Sedor’s contract during its Aug. 9th meeting, asking that the item come back on Sept. 12th. That was meant to provide time for negotiating teams from the district and Ketchikan Education Association to meet and look for common ground.
The two sides met once since then on Monday evening, according to KEA Vice President Sarah Campbell. An update following that meeting was not available at the time of this report.
Ketchikan School District teachers are working under a contract that expired in spring of 2017. The main sticking points in negotiations are salaries and health insurance benefits.
Also on Wednesday’s school board agenda is an executive session to discuss teacher contract negotiations.
The meeting starts at 6 p.m. in borough assembly chambers at the White Cliff Building. Public comment will be heard at the start and end of the meeting.
