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RECENTLY, THE BLACKFOOT
AND BONNEVILLE SCHOOL
DISTRICTS ANNOUNCED THEY WOULD
ACHIEVE A BALANCED BUDGET
WITHOUT CUTTING TEACHER
SALARIES. BUT IN FREMONT
COUNTY, THE BATTLE OVER
TEACHER SALARIES IS STILL
BEING FOUGHT. TONIGHT THE
DISTRICT IS HOLDING IT'S LAST
MEETING TO TRY TO NEGOTIATE A
SETTLEMENT. EYEWITNESS
NEWS REPORTER STEVEN POPE IS
HERE. STEVEN WHAT HAPPENS
IF THEY DON'T REACH AN
AGREEMENT TONIGHT? WELL
RIGHT NOW, BOTH SIDES ARE IN A
MEDIATION PROCESS. THE
SCHOOL BOARD IS IN ONE ROOM,
TEACHER NEGOTIATORS IN A
SECOND ROOM, AND A MEDIATOR
GOES BACK AND FORTH WITH
PROPOSALS. BUT IF THEY
DON'T REACH AN AGREEMENT
TONIGHT, THEY'LL BE THE FIRST
DISTRICT IN THE STATE TO HAVE
TO GO TO WHAT'S CALLED A THE
DUE PROCESS HEARING. A DUE
PROCESS HEARING IS JUST LIKE A
COURT HEARING. LAWYERS
FROM BOTH SIDES WILL CALL
WITNESSES TO TESTIFY HOW
TEACHER SALARIES SHOULD BE
AFFECTED BASED ON THE
DISTRICT'S SITUATION.
TEACHERS IN THE FREMONT COUNTY
SCHOOL DISTRICT CAN'T BELIEVE
THAT EVEN AFTER A SUPPLEMENTAL
LEVY PASSED, THEY'RE STILL
FACING SALARY CUTS."TO BO 100%
HONEST...KNOWING THAT THEY
STILL WANT TO CUT US EVEN
AFTER THAT. IT KIND OF
DEMORALIZES ALL THE TEACHERS.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE
PATRONS IN THEIR SUPPORT OF
THE LEVY.WITHOUT THE LEVY, WE
WOULD JUST BE IN A WHOLE WORLD
OF TROUBLE, I DON'T KNOW ANY
OTHER WAY TO SAY IT,"MANY
PATRONS WHO VOTED ON THE LEVY
SAY THEY DID IT TO SAVE
TEACHER SALARIES."I DON'T
THINK THEY SHOULD CUT TEACHER
SALARIES,""CAUSE OVER ALL WE
DON'T WANT IT TO HAPPEN. WE
DON'T WANT TO GET CUT. NOBODY
WANTS TO GET CUT. BUT WE
UNDERSTAND AT THE SAME TIME,
THERE'S GOT TO BE GIVE AND
TAKE.IF SOMETHING HAS TO GET
CUT WE KNOW WE UNDERSTAND THAT
SALARIES ARE THE BIGST PART
OF OUR BUDGET,"
NO ADMINISTRATORS FROM
THE FREMONT SCHOOL DISTRICT
WOULD AGREE TO SPEAK WITH ME
ON CAMERA SAYING THAT THEY
WON'T DISCUSS ANYTHING UNTIL
AFTER THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS
HAS COMPLETED. ONE OF THE
BIGGEST IRONIES HERE IS THAT
OTHER DISTRICTS IN EASTERN
IDAHO HAVE NOT PASSED LEVIES
BUT WERE FIRM ABOUT NOT
CUTTING TEACHER SALARIES.
LAST WEEK FREMONT DISTRICT
PASSED THEIR LEVY BUT THEY'RE
TRYING TO GET TEACHER SALARIES
CUT IN 3 YEARS FROM NOW BY
PUTTING THEM ON THE STATE
SCALE PAY SCALE. THAT
WOULD CUT TEACHER SALARIES IN
THE DISTRICT BY UP TO
10-PERCENT. HOW CAN
PATRONS IN FREMONT GET
INVOLVED? IF AN AGREEMENT
ISN'T REACHED AT TONIGHT'S
MEDIATION, THEY CAN ATTEND THE
DUE PROCESS HEARING WHICH IS
SCHEDULED FOR 8:30AM TOMORROW
AT THE NORTH FREMONT HIGH