The

Whitefish School Board has denied a request by the teachers union

to use prep time for union business.

The board of trustees Jan. 31

unanimously denied a grievance filed by the Whitefish Education

Association.

The WEA claims the school district

wrongfully denied a request for teachers to meet on union business

during the school day. The union took its claim to the school board

early in January after Superintendent Kate Orozco denied the

grievance stating that the teachers contract does not guarantee

such meetings.

Preparatory periods are time during the

school day when teachers prepare for instructional time.

Boardchair Pat Jarvi said the board

voted for denial because it felt that Orozco’s decision was

correct.

“We felt that school time is for

conducting school business,” Jarvi said.

The WEA said the historical practice

has been to allow the use of prep periods to conduct union

business, often at the request of administration.

WEA President Kelly Haverlandt told the

board at its Jan. 10 meeting that she has used prep time to speak

with teachers about union business.

In a letter to Haverlandt, Orozco said

the teachers contract allows union business to be conducted as long

as it “does not interrupt teachers in the course of their duties”

and that it does not entitle teachers to conduct union business

during preparation time.

Bill Howell, field representative for

the MEA-MFT state union, told the board Jan. 10 that the decision

was an 180-degree turn from the historical practice of allowing

short union business to be conducted during preparation time.

“We think, looking at the practice of

the district, this does not interrupt teaching duties,” he

said.