January 31, 2025

Jan 286 min read

It is wild to think we are already in the second semester of the school year! This time of year can be exciting, busy, and stressful for many of us. This year, we also get to unpack a new Presidential administration and its impacts on our profession and our classrooms. There are a lot of updates to share, ranging from student loan forgiveness to state budgets with plenty in between, so be sure to read on. For those in a hurry, I have highlighted some important dates and reminders below.

EPEA Executive Elections:

Our new Executive Board and our delegates to the Education Minnesota Representative Assembly will be chosen on February 19 by our membership. The vote will be held digitally on Electionbuddy. The following candidates have filed their candidacy for our vacancies:

President: Charles Cooper
Vice President: Kristen Mantel
Treasurer: Jessica Brent
EdMN Delegate (9 openings): Charles Cooper, Brent Bovitz, Kristen Mantel, Jessica Premo, Joanne Peterson, Jamie Alsleben

To vote, you will follow a link that will be sent to your personal email address. You will use your employee number to access your ballot. Voting is carried out through a double-blind process to assure anonymity for each ballot. Further reminders and instructions will be provided in the February 14 membership update.

I am continually humbled by the work that happens in our schools on a daily basis, and I am always available for any questions or concerns as they arise.

In solidarity,Charles Cooper

Link to previous EPEA Newsletters

Link to EPEA Staff and Leaders

Understanding your Compensation

How much do you earn? It’s a simple question, right? Every couple of weeks, there is an amount of money that appears in your bank account. This post-tax portion of your salary is the easiest way to measure your compensation, but there is more that goes into the formula. Contractually, your compensation includes:

Salary: This is determined by your placement on the salary schedule. Advancements on the salary schedule for approved coursework happen on October 1, February 1 (TOMORROW), and April 1 annually.

Insurance: Contractually, your compensation also includes premium contributions for health, life, term dental, and long-term disability insurance policies.

Tax sheltered Annuity (TSA): The overwhelming majority of our membership (hired after 1993 and choosing to opt-in prior to 1998) has access to matching contributions up to 2.25% of your basic annual salary.

The least-utilized portion of our compensation, as a bargaining unit, is the TSA, or 403(b), matching program. As tax season rolls around, it may be a perfect time to consider contributing 2.25% of your basic salary to a 403(b) account. The district provides a list of approved vendors that can discuss the process in more detail.

Link to EPEA Contract

Guidance from Your Member Rights Advocate

If you are in need of support at an administration meeting, believe there is a contract violation, or have a performance/conduct-related support request, please connect with Carla Thompson

(Lead MRA) cthompson@edenpr.org or 952-240-6577

Member Benefits:

Built In Benefits With Membership

ESI PerksConnect - discounts to area activities and restaurants
NEA Discount Marketplace - discount tickets and travel programs
NEA Mental Health Program
AFT Trauma counseling program

January 27 Board Meeting

If you are a fan of boring local governance, then the meeting on 1/27 was not for you. The board began its monthly business meeting by appointing and swearing in former-Director Charles “CJ” Strehl for a temporary assignment, which is anticipated to last for approximately 6 months. EPEA member Erin Webster (CMS) provided a spotlight for her students’ efforts to create and share books with our preschoolers. Erin also gave a shout out to the hard work our preschool teachers do on a daily basis, directly to EPEA member Jill Lorang.

This month’s public comment lasted longer than most. A coalition of parents and community members attended to address concerns regarding EPHS’ graduation ceremony. The ceremony is currently scheduled for June 7 of this year, which coincides with Eid al-Adha. There was a consistent message of concern delivered by those in attendance, as they voiced a rift between the district and the local muslim community. Further information can be found in the reporting of Juiliana Allen, for the EP Local News, and Kare 11. Following public comment, the District recognized several achievements during the announcement period, including the recognition of paraprofessional week and a series of student achievements across the district.

The board authorized a new Long-term Facility Bond request, for continuing property maintenance, as well. The new round of bond issuance is valued at roughly $9.6 million. In presenting the plan, the district acknowledged a current operating debt that is smaller than surrounding districts as well as districts of similar size, with approximately $110 million of outstanding debt. It needs to be noted that the vast majority of this debt (nearly 75%) is related to pension funding due to statutory neglect from the state legislature. The package is most affordable for the district due to more than a decade of healthy financial trends, which allowed the district to shrink the term to 10 years, which presents a savings for our community over the life of the bond. The board unanimously approved a motion to offer the bond at the prices presented on March 27. The board’s midyear budget report was largely positive. Revenues were higher than expected for the district, and expenses rose at roughly the same rate as revenues. The district has saved roughly $40,000, as compared to the budget, this year.

Following the bonding discussion, the district presented the calendar for the 2025-26 school year for initial review along with the preliminary calendar for the 2026-27 school year. Our calendar is developed with feedback provided by teachers in our Meet & Confer committee. There was a lively exchange between board members regarding student absences that largely mirrored the discussion around this year’s graduation date. Director Jody Ward-Rannow questioned the district’s behavior in scheduling school days on religious holidays. The line of questioning drew support, though measured, from Director Bradsher and Director Strehl. Legally, our calendar must be adopted utilizing strictly secular reasoning. The board requested that the district provide justification for the current calendar in light of student attendance data.

Finally, the School Board announced the appointment of committee members for this session. The appointments are as follows:

Board Development: Directors Bradsher, Libsack, and Strehl

Community Linkage: Directors Ross, Ward-Rannow, and Bartz

Negotiations: Directors Casper, Bartz, and Libsack

Policy: Directors Ross, Ward-Rannow, and Strehl

Financial Advisory: Director Bradsher

Brightworks: Director Bradsher

Minnesota State High School League: Director Bradsher

PTO Council: Director Ward-Rannow

These committee appointments will be revisited when Director Dwivedy returns from leave.

Student Loan Forgiveness

The Trump administration’s position on student loan forgiveness remains murky, but the Republican Party has a years-long track record demonstrating their efforts to derail the PSLF program signed into law by former-President George W Bush. You should take steps now to protect your progress.

If you are progressing to PSLF, we suggest you create copies of your qualifying payment record.
Make sure you are enrolled in a PSLF-eligible plan. IDR plans are protected by law. Pay as You Earn (PAYE), Income-Based Repayment (IBR), and Income Contingent Repayment (ICR) plans qualify.
If you are enrolled in SAVE, you have been in forbearance for months due to court action. If you have few payments remaining, filing to change your payment plan to a qualifying plan may be beneficial.
Be sure to file your PSLF certification annually to keep your employment record up-to-date.
Keep copies of all communications with your loan servicer. Any future disputes will require clear evidence.

Governor’s Budget Surprise

Governor Walz released his initial budget proposal for the state, and QComp is on the line. The Governor’s budget plans for QComp to be eliminated following 2027. This would be money taken directly from our pockets in Eden Prairie, as many of us have come to count our QComp award as a portion of our salary. The governor’s plan designates any remaining funds to be utilized exclusively for salaries. Education Minnesota has stated any changes must not take money away from our membership, and we should also revisit TD&E requirements so our members don’t have even more work to complete for even less compensation.

Rally to Fund Our Future

Join hundreds of educators and allies to demand Minnesota’s wealthiest corporations pay what they truly owe in taxes so our elected leaders can invest in educators and other working people. Without improvements in educators’ pay, pensions and health care, Minnesota can’t fix the staffing crisis in our schools or provide our students with the education they deserve. Advance registration is strongly encouraged.