The Blue Mountain Education Association formally declared an impasse in contract negotiations Tuesday night, rejecting a one-year contract proposal from the school board and triggering mediation by the Vermont Labor Relations Board. The declaration came after nearly a year of talks and the board's rejection of a three-year tentative agreement negotiators had reached in July.
Vermont School District and Teachers Union Reach Impasse After Board Rejects Contract
The Blue Mountain Education Association formally declared an impasse in contract negotiations Tuesday night, rejecting a one-year contract proposal from the school board and triggering mediation by the Vermont Labor Relations Board. The declaration came after nearly a year of talks and the board's rejection of a three-year tentative agreement negotiators had reached in July.
The three-year agreement that the board rejected would have provided teachers with a 4.75% raise in the first year, a 5.5% raise in the second year, and a 6% raise in the third year, all in addition to teachers' standard yearly pay increases based on education and experience. The board voted down the agreement at meetings on July 30 and August 5, citing financial concerns.
Vermont's new education reform law requires school districts to limit spending or face tax penalties on residents. The law lowers the excess spending threshold—the percentage above average statewide per-pupil cost that triggers penalties—from 118% to 115.5% for the fiscal year starting in July. School board chair Kelsey Root-Winchester stated that while the district can afford the proposed raises this year, the salary costs for subsequent years would place the district above the excess spending threshold.
The union filed a complaint with the Vermont Labor Relations Board alleging that the board's rejection of the tentative agreement constituted retaliation for teachers' criticism of the superintendent and constituted bargaining in bad faith. The complaint referenced union members' concerns about Orange East Superintendent Heather Lawler, which they conveyed to the board on July 1 and discussed with Lawler on July 13.
The Blue Mountain Union School District serves approximately 400 students from Groton, Wells River, and Ryegate in a single prekindergarten through 12th grade school. The union began collective bargaining in September 2025. Although the previous contract expired in June, teachers have remained in school and continue to be paid under the terms of the expired agreement.
- The source does not state what specific salary figures or annual pay amounts the teachers requested beyond the percentage increases mentioned.
- The source does not establish the current average teacher salary in the district or the total annual cost to the district of the proposed raises.
- The source does not provide details on the union's allegations of bad faith bargaining beyond the board's rejection of a tentative agreement.
- The source does not state whether the superintendent's criticism by union members was documented or addressed formally before the union's complaints to the board.
- The source does not indicate the specific timeline the Vermont Labor Relations Board typically requires for mediation or the potential outcomes beyond mediation itself.