District Split

Questions and Answers

The JEA Legislative Council and Executive Boards met in November and worked to generate questions surrounding the recent vote to split Jordan School District and the impact this will have upon certificated employees. At this point, we have few concrete answers to these questions, but this page will communicate what we do know. It will be updated regularly as more information becomes available. If you have additional questions that are not listed here, please email them to tony.romanello@utea.org , and we will add them to the page as answers become available.

 

Q: What is the timeline of events?

A: The timeline which is set in the law is:

• December 2007 - Transition teams will be formed and district assets will be inventoried.
• January 2008 - Board of Education precincts will be set for both the new and remaining district.
• June 2008 - Board of Education elections will be held for both the new and remaining district.
• July 1, 2008 - Transistion teams will determine the allocation of assets between the new and remaining district.
• July 15, 2008 - Newly elected Board of Education members take office.
• August 2008 - June 2009 - The Board of Education of the new district(s) will appoint a superintendent, hire staff, establishe departments, and create a new school district.
• July 1, 2009 - Districts will begin independent operations. the existing Jordan School District Board of Education will continue to proved education services to all areas until this date.
• July 15, 2009 - Terms for the current Jordan Board of Education members will expire.

Q: What activities are currently occuring with regard to the split?

A: Currently Jordan School District is compiling a list of assets for the transition teams. This task will be completed by and this list will be presented to the transisiton teams on January 4, 2008. The members of the transistion team were officially named on December 18, 2007 they are:

Jordan District Team:

• Ralph Haws (Chair) - former JSD school board member and administrator.
• Rick Horst - South Jordan City Administrator
• Don Wallace - Chief Operating Officer and general counsel for the Sorenson Group Real Estate division.
• Dennis Higbee - Chief Financial Officer for Continental Bank.
• Sterling Nielsen - Chief Administrative Officer Mountain America Credit Union

  Alternates:
• Peggy Jo Kennett - JSD School Board Member.
• Melissa Johnson - West Jordan City Council Member.

East-Side Team

• Jason Burningham - Prinicpal Officer of Lewis, Young, Robinson, and Burningham the group who conducted the feasibility study.
• Bob Day - Former JSD Area Director for facilities and Operations.
• Steve Newton - Former mayor of Sandy City.
• DeVon Sanderson - Former JSD Business Administrator.
• LaMont Smith - Co-manager of LJP Properties and Associates.

  Alternates
• David Doty - University Professor with a specialty in Educational Law.
• Michael Peterson -Executive Director of Utah Education Network.
• Mike Shelton - Founder and CEO of Goldgate LLC.

Additionally, the new School Board precincts are being created by the County Council and Clerk. This process should be completed by late January 2008. Upon the completion of this task, School Board Elections will be announced and will occur in June 2008.

Q: Who can run for the new School Boards?

A: The requirements for Board Candidates are:

• U.S. Citizen at the time of filing.
• Resident in the school representative district from which elected.
• Qualified and registered elector (registered voter) of the school representative district from which elected.
• Non-partisan
• A member of the local school board shall:
• Maintain a primary residence within the local school board district from which the members is elected or appointed.

The filing deadline for school board races for both sides of the district will be March 7 - 17, 2008. The school board elections will be on June 4th.

To view maps of the precincts on the links below::

JSD East

JSD West

Q: Will JEA endorse School Board Candidates?

A: JEA involves itself in political activites when it is in the best interest of its members. Obviously, the makeup of the School Board is important to us. The endorsement process involves candidates filling out a questionaire and participating in interviews with the JEA Political Action Committee. Currently the members of this committee are:

Co-Chair            Bonnie Despain, Ridgecrest Elementary (Retired)
Co-Chair            Marilyn Kurt, Joel P. Jensen Middle

JEA Members:

Camille Baker, West Jordan Middle
Jennifer Wilson, Oak Hollow Elementary
Judy Taylor, Park Lane Elementary
Kathleen Carlson, Albion Middle
Kathy Byerline, Oquirrh Hills Middle
Kevin Ball, Rosamond Elementary
Randy Olsen, Crescent View Middle
Robin Duffy, West Jordan High
Jeremiah Edwards, Rose Creek Elementary
Shirley Foerster, East Sandy Elementary
Vivian Gubler, Rosamond Elementary
Jenicee Jacobson, Riverton High
Scott Berryessa, Bluffdale Elementary
Becky Boberg, Riverton High
Jeff Bossard, Itineris High
Pam Bunderson, Ridgecrest Elementary
Susan Tolman, Jordan Hills Elementary

Any member wishing to get involved in this committee can contact Marilyn via email: marilyn.kurt@jordan.k12.ut.us.

If you wish to make a political action contribution you may do so by downloading the contribution form at:

www.jea-ut.org/pages/pdf_files/PACVol.pdf

Q: Do we still have power to negotiate in the new district?

A: JEA is the recognized bargaining agent in the Jordan District. When the district splits, JEA will also re-structure into two separate locals. While staff and operating procedures will be maintained, each local will have its own governing body and will negotiate with its respective school board separately. Currently the percentage of membership is relatively equal on both sides of the district, so under the law, the new local will have bargaining power in the new district as long as we maintain our membership levels and establish a new agreement with the new east-side Board of Education.

Q: Will both districts be able to maintain the current salary schedule?

A: Under the current law, the new district must adopt the policies and procedures of the Jordan District for one year (2009 - 2010). After that time, all policy and procedure changes will be made by the new School Board. This is one reason it is crucial to have a strong bargaining position within the newly created local.

Q: What happens to the negotiated policies that we have worked for?

A: Under the current law, the new district must adopt the policies and procedures of the Jordan District for one year (2009 - 2010). After that time, all policy and procedure changes will be made by the new School Board. This is one reason it is crucial to have a strong bargaining position within the newly created local.

Q: How will the split affect special programs?

A: Many of the services of special programs are required by law, but at this point, we it has not been decided how or if they will be offered or maintained after the split.

Q: Effect on school bonding and the District's bond rating?

A: Until the new district has taxing authority (2009 - 2010) we don't know what bond rating it will be given, or if the split will affect the current district's bond rating. The reason this is important is because that bond rating determines the amount of debt service a district has and how affordable borrowing money is for that district.

Q: How will the division of assets between the two districts be accomplished?

A: Under the law, each district is required to set up a transition team specifically to make determinations regarding the division of both assets and liabilities. These teams are currently being formed and that process should be complete by December 20, 2007. The law is very vague on the makeup of these teams, so at this point we don't know the size or composition of the teams. What is known is that the West Side Board members, J. Dale Christensen, Peggy Jo Kennett, and Randy Brinkerhoff will choose the team for Jordan District, and that the East Side city leaders in consultation with Tracey Cowdell, Kim Horiuchi, Ellen Wallace, and Sheryl Taylor, will pick the team for the new district. Additionally, there will be an arbitration panel who will make final decisions on any aspect of the division the teams cannot agree upon. This three-person team will be made up of one person from each transisiton team and a third person who is mutually agreed to by both teams. This panel has the right to submit issues to a binding arbitration process.

Q: Will the split result in a change in the number of educator transfers?

A: For the 2007 - 2008 school year, we expect the the transfer program to go on in a normal fashion. The 2007 - 2008 program could pose some problems, but we are unsure about it at this point. After the split in July 2009, we expect the transfer program to continue in a normal fashion; however, since each district will be smaller, the number of locations to transfer to within each district will be reduced. However, the number of people requesting transfers will be proportionally smaller as well.

Q: Will I get to stay in my current building or will there be a "domino effect"?

A: Under the law, wherever you are located at the end of the 2008 - 2009 school year will determine which district you are in. All personnel will remain in their buildings and will be employees of the district which "owns" that building. There will be the same number of students in that building, so we expect that all educators will be able to maintain their positions. The amount of "domino effect" that will occur will depend upon the number of district personnel which will need to be re-assigned to buildings, which we believe we won't know until we get closer to the actual split. However, with our current turnover rate, we are confident that we will not only be able to maintain positions, but that we will still be hiring new employees at that time.

Q: What if I want to change districts?

A: Prior to the split, changing districts will require that you go through the normal transfer process. You locate an opening you qualify for, fill out a transfer form, and go through the interview process. (See DP 304 NEG). After the split is finalized in July 2009, you would have to make an application to the new district as any new employee would.

Q: Will insurance be affected?

A: At this point, we don't know. There will be a smaller insurance pool in each district, but until the new school boards are elected, we won't know how they intend to handle insurance.

Q: How will class size be affected?

A: Initially, there will be the same students and personnel in each building, so we don't anticipate any changes. However, the new school boards could foreseeably make changes based on available funding.

Q: How will funding change (can we afford to fund current programs)?

A: We don't have an answer to this question yet and probably won't until asset allocation is completed.

Q: Will elementaries lose literacy specialists?

A: That is dependent upon the decision of the new School Boards and their ability to fund this program.

Q: Retirement - is it better if I retire now or wait?

A: Retirement is always a personal decision; without looking at each person's individual situation, it is an impossible question to answer. At this point, the best advice that can be given is not to base a retirement decision on the split, but to wait and see what happens over the next year, while factoring your personal situation and desires into the equation.

Q: Can I retire from JSD and immediately begin working in the new district?

A: Utah State Law 49-11-6211(1) prevents an employee from retiring from the Jordan School District and goint to work for the new school district without the mandatory 6 months of separation. That means any current east-side employee would not be allowed to retire from Jordan School District in June of 2009 and return to work full-time in the new district in August of 2009. At this time we are unsure of how long past 2009 that rule would be in place.

Q: What will happen to GASB funding?

A: We have been assured that a legal agreement will be put in place with the new district to protect that benefit. We know that along with those assets, the new district should also assume that liability.

Q: Will the split be more efficient (save money?)

A: Start-up costs for the new district have been estimated at $100 million in additional money. All predictions say that the split will cost money, not save it.

Q: What happens to special/unique facilities?

A: These assets will be part of the division and will be decided by the transition team. We won't know which district these facilities will be in until the transition teams finish their work (July 1, 2008). As for the programs at these facilities, their fate is up to the new School Boards.

Q: What will happen to benefits after the first year?

That will depend upon who is elected to the new School Boards and what your Association is able to negotiate with these Boards. That is why it is imperative for our Association to be strong, and our strength is based on our number of members.

Q: What happens to those people who have specialized jobs?

A: That depends on the decisions of the new School Boards as to whether or not to maintain their programs. If the programs are cut, the positions will likely follow. However, since most specialists are also certified educators many could return to the classroom or another school-level assignment.

Q: Will this make the teacher shortage worse?

A: The teacher shortage is a national problem. It is predicted to worsen everywhere. We don't know if it will become more acute in JSD or the new district. That probably depends upon the matainance of salary and benefits by both districts.

Q: Will there be a continuity of programs and/or could we see a large number of administrative changes?

A: This is a real unknown at this point. Programs will be decided by the respective School Boards, and administrators may choose to retire or leave, we just don't know.

Q: What will happen to the Tech centers?

A: Each Tech center offers a unique program. Like other special programs, their functions cannot be replace, nor will it be easy to duplicate them on either side of the district. This is another issue which must be decided by the new School Boards.

Q: How will Transportation be affected?

A: Transportation assets will be divided along with other district assets. The effect on operations is unknown at this time.

Q: Does this affect the current building/remodeling schedule?

A: We expect any project scheduled over the next 18 months to continue as planned. We are unsure of the effect beyond that point.

Q: Will this cause tax increases?

A: All of the current projections show a definite need for a tax increase on the west side of the valley to maintain current levels of service.

Q: How does this affect job security?

A: The same number of students will be in our schools. At the building level, there should be little impact on job security. However, district personnel will need to be reassigned, which will require newer employees to be flexible in their assignments. However, with the district's current rate of turnover, we believe that there will not be a large number of job losses.

Q: Will accumulated sick/personal leave follow educators to the new district?

A: We will work to negotiate this, but we are unsure at this point.

Q: What happens to career educator status?

A: The status of career educators should be unaffected.

Q: How do these things affect classified employees?

A: In the same manner as certificated employees.

Q: What is the status of the Herriman Lawsuit?

A: This has been sent to federal court and is awaiting a hearing. Currently the scheduled hearing date is February 29, 2008.

Q: Will mentoring and consulting educator programs continue?

A: That will depend upon the newly elected school boards.

Q: What input will employees have during the transition?

A: At this point, we don't know. What we do know is that JEA is the bargaining agent for all certificated employees (except administrators) and will continue to serve in that capacity for all educators until the transition is completed and in the Jordan School District after the split.

Q: Will JPAS still be used in the new East Side district?

A: That will depend upon the school board, but it is a reliable instrument that administrators in both districts will have been trained in. There is some question as to whether or not the new district would have to purchase the rights to this instrument from the remaining Jordan District.