High school schedules update: BCPS response to new Arbitration ruling

High school schedules update: BCPS response to new Arbitration ruling

By Tracy Clark, Public Information Officer

Recently, Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) received a new arbitration ruling regarding the District’s change to high school schedules for the 2012/13 school year. This latest ruling includes a decision by an Arbitrator concerning compensation for high school teachers who, as a result of the schedules implemented during the 2012/13 school year, are now required to provide student instruction for six of seven class periods daily.

The District’s legal counsel is currently reviewing this latest ruling, and the District will provide additional information as it becomes available. In the meantime, the District is moving forward with negotiations that have been underway with the Broward Teachers Union (BTU) since receiving the first arbitration ruling in June 2013.

The District transitioned to the uniform high school schedules beginning in the 2012/13 school year as a proactive strategy for meeting Class Size Reduction (CSR) requirements and avoiding the significant financial penalties from the state for non-compliance. In 2011/12, the District received a $66 million dollar fine from the state, the largest ever imposed on a school district, for not meeting CSR.

Since the implementation of uniform high school schedules, the District has substantially increased compliance with CSR and avoided millions of dollars in penalties. This decision has allowed the District to reinvest these funds in schools and class-rooms to increase student achievement. For 2013/14, high school schedules will remain consistent with schedules in place last school year.

“The District has been working collaboratively with the BTU. We are reviewing today’s ruling and will continue to work toward reaching an amicable agreement for the best interest of our students,” said Superintendent Robert W. Runcie. “As the new school year gets underway, I want to thank our teachers, administrators and support staff for their efforts to prepare for the start of classes. We are all excited to welcome students back to school on Monday (Aug. 19, 2013).”