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Schools

Bridge the Gap at 90% of Goal

Teachers are facing a 1.9% salary cut from the state.

With a $20,000 gift received on Wednesday, Bridge the Gap (BTG) has surpassed 90% of its fundraising goal of $1.2 million for the Mercer Island schools. Donations are still being encouraged to reach 100%.

While Superintendent Dr. Gary Plano reiterated at Thursday night’s school board meeting that, as a result, no teachers or classified staff would be let go, teachers are facing a 1.9% salary reduction from the state.

The Mercer Island School District is facing a decrease of $1.7 million in government funding for next fiscal year. The $500,000 difference between BTG and state budget cuts will be absorbed by the school district.

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Five teachers spoke out at the school board meeting last night about the salary cuts. Even as each teacher expressed their love of teaching and working on Mercer Island, Island Middle School teacher Nova Williams shared, through a statement read by Tani Lindquist, “What the state is doing to teacher salaries and the education budget is shameful.”

When people ask IMS teacher Vicky Mann why she teaches, her response is “because I love the place I work.”  None of her fellow teachers went into the profession because of the pay. But with the 1.9% salary cut looming, last night she admitted, “I am beginning to wonder how much longer the intrinsic rewards of teaching will continue to sustain me?”

Find out what's happening in Mercer Islandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Many of the teachers were particularly concerned with their retirement pensions. With the amount of their pension based on the salary of their last five years of teaching, the 1.9% cut this year and possible future cuts will adversely affect retiring teachers well past next fiscal year.

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