Sewanhaka District Looking for Concessions from Unions

The is meeting with the district's bargaining units and talking about possibly reopening contracts, noted during the Tuesday evening budget work session.

Meierdiercks added that this "has occured in this school district."

Sewanhaka Board of Education President Jean Fichtl noted after the meeting that if there are enough concessions made by the various parts of the district -- teachers, custodians, clerical workers, et cetera -- there would not have to be layoffs.

The tax levy in this version of the budget is 8.7 percent with a 6.6 percent budget-to-budget increase. If this budget were to be defeated twice and the contingency budget has to be used, there would be $7.3 million in cuts so that it would reach a 1.92 percent budget-to-budget increase.

Meierdiercks described this budget as, "one of the most diffcult that we've ever had to put together."