Community members donned red and packed the auditorium of Liberty Middle School for the regular meeting of the District 7 School Board March 24.

Three days earlier, the district announced it will not renew the contracts of 16 probationary teachers. 

The meeting, which came in the leadup to school board elections on April 1, resulted in a 4-3 approval of the non-renewals.

“Some of the dismissed probationary teachers’ positions will be filled by existing employees who will be reassigned,” the district’s statement following the meeting reads. “There are no planned reductions to any programs … Additionally, we remain committed to maintaining appropriate class sizes to support student learning.”

According to Robert Unzicker, science teacher and co-president of the Edwardsville Education Association, the union did not receive a contractually-mandated 15-day notice before the non-renewals, which it views as reductions in force.

“The administration is going to stick to the fact that they’re saying that this is a release of probationary teachers and not a reduction in force, but, in reality, it is,” Mr. Unzicker said. “Whenever they’re talking about potentially bringing some of those staff members back, it’s to fill in other positions that people are resigning out of.
That’s a clear message that they are reducing the total number of positions in our certified staff, and so that’s a reduction of force.”

Some supporters of the EEA arrived at Liberty three hours ahead of meeting start-time to rally against the non-renewals outlined in agenda item 8.3. Signs included “Pink slip Patrick,” referring to Superintendent Patrick Shelton, and “Fairness is all we want.”

Calculus teacher and EEA vice president Mollie Rice was one of the roughly 40 educators, parents and students at the rally, all making “a statement to the board about displeasure over releasing a large number of teachers and concerns about the management of resources.”

Ms. Rice said she’s concerned about the decision in relation to other topics on the board’s docket, such as improving transportation, changing the high school’s start time and adding a period to the school day, which all could require resources from the Education Fund that the district said is “not sustainable long term.” 

The board did not finalize any of those agenda items, but its members voted to move forward with investigatory processes on all three.

“There are a lot of questions about what the price tag on those [three] will be,” Ms. Rice said at the rally. “If we can’t afford as many teachers, if we have to make drastic cuts in teachers because of financial reasons, then there are concerns about whether or not we can make these changes.”

As the hours to the school board’s approval ticked down, hundreds of parents, students, teachers and current board candidates gathered in the Liberty auditorium, with many spilling into cafeteria overflow seating, to watch the decision being delivered. 

During the standard time for community members to address the board, 24 speakers took the podium, all against the non-renewals. Mr. Unzicker, spoke second, expressing “concern, frustration and confusion” about the non-renewals and budgeting. 

Junior Sawyer Heck addressed the board in defense of all teachers, many of whom he said have made a significant impact on his life.

“They’ve been saying for the past three years now that they’ve had plenty of money in the budget to not cut teachers and for the expenditures. And now, the sudden [announcement] that happened on Friday made me see that this is not true,” Heck said. “They’ve lost a lot of trust from the parents and community members.”

Among the other 22 speakers were released teachers, substitute teachers, parents and students. School board candidate Patricia Lowe also spoke. In total, community members addressed the board for over an hour.

The crowd, which was responsive throughout the meeting, became heated during deliberation. As board members criticized budgeting decisions, explained the necessity they see in the non-renewals or even expressed reluctance at their decision to vote in favor of 8.3, expressions of approval or disdain could be heard from the audience.

Some discussion focused on the need for a budget that reallocates funds from other areas to contribute to the Education Fund, from which teacher salaries are drawn. 

Also on the agenda was a $2.3 million bid to replace the track and install two turf fields, which became controversial in light of 8.3, though the funds come from different budget lines.

Shelton told STLPR that the district is concerned about uncertainty in Trump administration funding. This instability is part of what motivated the non-renewals.

“We do have about 6% of our budget, about $4 million, that comes from federal funds,” Dr. Shelton told STLPR. “That mostly pays salaries and support for teachers, and so if we were to lose that, that would certainly be another layer that we would have to navigate through.”

After 30 minutes of board deliberation, the vote came down: Ayes from Jennifer Brumback, Kristen Pfund, Bob Paty and Jill Bertels, nays from Terri Dalla Riva, Lynne Sanderson and Scott Ahart. 

“You have to exercise all other things we can do before we start taking [away] staff,” Ahart said after the meeting. “It’s not a decision that’s made [lightly], so my reason for voting no is I felt that there are other strings we could pull before we pull that one.”

Ahart, who is up for re-election and received an endorsement from the EEA, said his candidacy did not push him to vote along community and union lines. 

“That’s been my voice before I got on the board, and it’s been my voice since I’ve been on the board,” Ahart said. “I’ve always advocated for students, teachers and the community. And I will stand by that. If you ask me to do something different, then I just choose to go back into retirement.”

According to first-time board candidate William Duffy, who serves as a District 7 substitute teacher, it’s “astonishing” that this controversial decision was brought to the board just over a week before the election. If he had the opportunity to vote, he said his answer would’ve been an “emphatic no.”

The decision to non-renew comes under a month before negotiations between the EEA and the district begin, according to Ms. Rice. If a contract is not agreed upon by the first day of school, the teachers will be operating without a contract. Per Mr. Unzicker, the vote keeps the contract discussions in “the same position.”

Still, Mr. Unzicker said the community support demonstrated at the meeting is “going to mean everything” to the union as they move forward in negotiations.

After the meeting, Dr. Shelton said the community should find reassurance in the fact that no programs are being cut and that this was a difficult but necessary decision for the board. He said he appreciated seeing teachers come out.

“We support them,” Dr. Shelton said. “Even though today it doesn’t feel that way.”