Members of the Haida Descendant Dancers sang and danced during last year’s Ketchikan School Board meeting at the Saxman Community Center. (KRBD file photo by Leila Kheiry)
The Ketchikan School Board will have its traditional November meeting in Saxman this Wednesday, in honor of Native American/Alaska Native Heritage Month.
On the agenda is a public hearing and motion to establish the Ketchikan School District’s Native Education Committee. If approved, the committee will be a standing committee of the board. It will provide recommendations to the district and the board regarding Native education programs, policies and regulations, and other duties as assigned, according to the proposed committee charter.
The committee would have nine members. One to three of those members would be school board members appointed by the board president. Other members would be appointed by Ketchikan Indian Community and Saxman IRA councils. Those tribal appointments can include high school students.
Also Wednesday, the board will vote on a memorandum of agreement between the district and Ketchikan Education Association to provide salary increases known as “steps and lanes.” Those increases are for seniority and increased education levels. Steps and lanes were frozen while the district and KEA negotiated a new contract.
Contract negotiations have been ongoing for about two years. On Monday, the two negotiating teams reached a tentative agreement. If the union ratifies it, the agreement then will go to the school board. It is not on the board’s agenda for this Wednesday.
Also Wednesday, the board will discuss Elizabeth Peratrovich Day, and will talk about scheduling a special meeting to get an update on the investigation into the district’s actions related to complaints of sexual harassment. Executive sessions are scheduled to discuss that investigation, and to talk about contract negotiations with KEA.
The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the Saxman Community Center. Public comment will be heard at the start and end of the meeting.
