As a parent in the Centralia School District, I am disheartened and discouraged by the inaccuracies portrayed by the school district and Superintendent Mark Davalos regarding the negotiations between the district and the Centralia Education Association, which represents the Centralia teachers.
The superintendent would like the public to believe that he is “striving to reach a fair and equitable settlement with all employee groups,” and yet after 11 meetings has yet to physically meet at the negotiating table. Instead he has hired an attorney at the reported $25,000 fee to negotiate in his place from day one. This is taxpayer dollars spent to ensure that his agenda is met.
However, he didn’t anticipate the resolve and determination of our community, which shows up to support educators, as he is an outsider to our community.
He is a politician who sold us on a platform of half-truths that promised us new schools for our children. He has been reckless with taxpayers’ money as the district has incurred more than $1 million in unforeseen overages in construction costs that has been paid out of the general budget.
His proposal to change Jefferson-Lincoln, Edison, Fords Prairie, Oakview and Washington to K-6 is costing taxpayers an additional $330,000.
The superintendent has gotten himself in a bit of a conundrum as his half-truths are catching up to him. He will tell the public the the board of directors has a “fervent commitment to providing a fair and competitive salary and benefit compensation package to our employee groups.” However he won’t tell the public that the district received an increase of approximately $2 million allocated for salaries only, but is only offering a 7 percent raise, adding up to about $1 million.
He also won’t tell you that if he withholds the money meant only for salaries, he can roll the funds into the general fund to spend as he deems, such as on unforseen overages in construction costs. He won’t tell you that the state allocates only $98,000 for his salary and yet his current salary is nearly $170,000, not to mention his personal car allowance and fully funded benefit compensation package.
The state of Washington intended the $14.4 million paid to the Centralia School District to be allotted for teachers’ salaries only, as indicated by the McCleary decision. It is not meant for covering mistakes made, for incidentals, or whatever other self-serving decision is made.
I can’t help but think of the words by Robert Fulghum: “All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten. Share. Play fair. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.”
These are the ideals I teach my children. The impressionable youth of our community are watching to see how this unravels. Does the district share? Does the district play fair? Does the district care about educators?
Centralia, are you fed up with the lies, deceit and trickery of corrupt individuals working against the livelihood of our community? It seems so simple, Mr. Davalos, say what you mean, and mean what you say. Do the right thing. Show respect to our community, our students, our parents, our educators.
Sharity Knapp
Centralia
