MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake School District will be closed Monday as a precaution for a potential strike by the Moses Lake Education Association, the district’s teacher's union. MLEA said their executive board voted to initiate a strike starting Monday, if an agreement was not reached by Sunday night after negotiations ended.  

However, in a statement to the district Friday, MLEA President Heather Whittall said MLEA members will commence a work stoppage beginning Monday at 7 a.m. and it will remain on strike until “a satisfactory contract agreement is reached.”  

“The Association has also notified the Office of State Public Instruction and is prepared to have our bargaining team available and ready to continue negotiations to reach a tentative agreement that can be taken to our respective parties,” reads the letter from Whittall.  

As of 6 p.m. Sunday, negotiations are still ongoing. Despite this, the district is assuming the work stoppage is to happen after the communication from Whittall. As a result, all schools will remain closed for student instruction until it is safe to reopen, and district facilities will be closed to visitors. Any days lost from a work stoppage will be made up at the end of the school year.  

“This is a difficult moment for our community,” Superintendent Carol Lewis said. “Closing school will have a significant impact on every Moses Lake School District family, and we don’t take it lightly. I urge everyone to remember that this situation will eventually end, and how we treat each other right now will determine how we are able to recover as a community. We owe it to our kids to model kindness and professionalism at all times.” 

MLEA President Heather Whittall was contacted for comment and said she doesn’t have an update yet, because bargaining is still ongoing.  

Food distribution  

The district will provide breakfast and lunch Monday from 11:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. Elementary schools will serve as pick-up locations, including for middle and high school students. Groff students can pick up at either Garden Heights or Lakeview. Middle and high school students can pick up at the nearest elementary school location.  

“We appreciate your flexibility as we work to ensure students continue to have access to meals during this disruption,” Lewis said in a statement.  

This will continue daily until schools can reopen.  

Activities and athletics 

According to the district, athletics may continue where allowable. This is pending coach participation. However, families are responsible for transportation practices. Buses will still be provided for games and tournaments, according to the district.  

Background  

The work stoppage comes after nearly six months of negotiations on a contract. MLEA has stated several times it is upset with the district for prioritizing the General Fund balance over investing in teachers and students.  

MLEA representatives have indicated their chief concern for students is the reduction in elementary school days. Before the 2023-24 school year budget shortfall and double levy failure, the schools started at 9 a.m. However, several cost-saving measures were instituted in the 2024-25 school year to pass a balanced budget, including a thirty-minute reduction to the elementary school day, with school now starting at 9:30 a.m.  

The district said this was a two-year measure, with the cost to reinstate it being around $2 to $3 million, according to Lewis. This would dip into the General Fund and drop the fund balance below the board-required 12.5%.  

Lewis has reiterated several times that the district will not spend money it doesn’t have.  

Most recently, the district has made three proposals to MLEA, which are being negotiated on Sunday. These include reinstating elementary planning time during the student day beginning in the 2026-27 school year, which would provide students with more specialist time each day, including physical education and music. MLEA members receive 52 hours a year of professional development. MLEA members would get a salary increase of 2.57%, which is the state-determined inflationary percentage.  

“The long-term success of each and every student in our school district will always be my highest priority. I appreciate your patience as we navigate this difficult time,” Lewis said in a statement.  

Strike 

In anticipation of a possible strike, the school board passed a resolution Nov. 20 that would allow schools to be closed, limiting access to school grounds and allowing the superintendent to hire temporary employees to continue operations. Further, striking members may have health insurance premiums suspended, and sick leave would require a certification of illness. Unauthorized absences may lead to disciplinary actions or discharge procedures.  

"The residents of the district and the school-age children in the community will be irreparably injured," reads the resolution.  

It also allows the district to pursue legal remedies against individuals participating in a strike, the local union or both.  

According to RCW 41.59.020, certificate employees of school districts, which includes teachers, have the right to engage in collective bargaining. However, strikes by public employees are not protected in Washington State, according to RCW 41.56.041. 

“Nothing contained in this chapter shall permit or grant any public employee the right to strike or refuse to perform his or her official duties,” reads RCW 41.56.041 

According to the Washington State Office of the Attorney General, there are three statutes that prohibit public employees from striking; however, there were no Washington statutes imposing penalties on government employees for engaging in a strike. Disciplinary actions and/or legal action can be taken against public employees who engage in a strike.  

This year in Washington, there have been two strikes by school district employees. Evergreen Public Schools classified staff struck for three weeks, and the La Center School District teachers did the same for one week at the beginning of the current school year.  

Further updates 

The district said it will be updating the community daily through ParentSquare. There will also be an MLSD Work Stoppage Information Hotline, which can be reached at 509-793-7769 and includes daily updates.  

    The letter Moses Lake School District Superintendent Carol Lewis received from Moses Lake Education Association President Heather Whittall on Nov. 28.