LWSD Extends School Year to Avoid Teacher Pay Cuts

Students in the  will attend class for 181 days during the 2011-12 school year as part of the district's efforts to avoid teacher pay cuts and help prepare schools for the system's upcoming grade reconfiguration.

As Kirkland Patch reported earlier this week, LWSD officials are using levy dollars to help mitigate state cuts to funding for teacher salaries and class size reductions. In order to avoid salary reductions, the district has decided to pay teachers to work two extra days during the 2011-2012 school year, officials announced Wednesday in a news release.

Students will attend one extra day of instruction, with the last day of school falling on June 22 next year. Teachers will come in for an extra work day on May 25, the Friday before Memorial Day.

May 25 was scheduled as a regular school day, but students will now have the day off and make up for it at the end of the year. With the added 181st day of instruction, the last day of school will be pushed from June 20 to June 22.

Students and teachers will use the extra time to help prepare for the district's upcoming , which is scheduled to take place in the fall of 2012. The district negotiated the change to the teachers' contracts with the Lake Washington Education Association.

“These days will provide great opportunities for teachers and students alike to go to the schools they will be moving to in the fall of 2012, to get a chance to familiarize themselves with their new location in advance," Superintendent Chip Kimball said in the news release. "Staff will be able to plan additional activities to help students and families prepare for their transition to a new school or new grade.”

The district is working with other employee groups on similar proposals.