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Show cr expires tfl 3iZ8E, llr t SONS BOOKBINDERY, INC. R RAILROAD STREET gpRlNGPORT MI 43284 Factfinder delivers opinions Alpine School District officials and teacher representatives have received the recommendation of fact-finder Don Ulmer and hope to be able to resolve teacher contract stalemates. Dr. Clark L. Cox, district superintendent, said both sides received a letter from Ulmer on Friday, but said he is not at liberty to discuss the specifics of the recommendation. '.'There will be a special meeting of the school board Tuesday evening to consider the recommendation. They then will give me direction as to which way Ihey want me to go," Dr. Cox said. The meeting will be a closed session due to the negotiations discussion. Ulmer, a finance business administrator ad-ministrator with the State Board of Education in Salt Lake City, was called in as a fact-finder about two weeks ago when contract negotiations failed at the salary level. Other issues had reportedly been settled. He was asked to take an independent, in-dependent, unbiased look at the district's finances to determine if the district can afford to meet the raise asked for by the Alpine Education Association. Both the AEA and the school district presented their sides in the matter, with Ulmer gathering further information from Dr. Charles Lloyd, district clerk. Ulmer's recommendation is not binding on either side, but both Nick Franklin, AEA president, and Dr. Cox said they are hopeful the report will lead to settling of the contract issue. After six-months of negotiation, district negotiators had refused to go beyond their offer of a 4.5 percent increase in salaries, while teacher representatives continued to ask for a 5 percent raise. A federal mediator was brought in 5 but failed to solve the differences, and, later, Dr. Cox agreed to the fact-finder. AEA teacher representatives met late Friday to discuss Ulmer's recommendation, but officials of the organization said they could not discuss the report. Franklin did say the organization feels very good about the report and that the AEA is seeking a meeting with the district as soon as possible to try and wrap things up. |