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Representatives of the local teachers union would like to see more limits placed on the workday of teachers in the Lawrence school district.

One change proposed by the union, Lawrence Education Association, would strike a portion of the district’s teacher contract that currently allows principals to extend teachers’ workday once per week for up to 30 minutes.

“We’ve been kind of wrestling around with various workload related things for a number of years now,” union representative David Reber told attendees at the district’s teacher contract negotiation meeting on Monday. “…But we’re hearing a lot from people about various things being added and nothing is ever taken off.”

Reber, who teaches at Free State High School, also explained parts of the union’s proposal that would add language defining the length of the workday for the district’s professional employees, which includes teachers, para-educators and special education teachers.

The proposed changes would define the start and end of the “duty day” for elementary and middle school teachers. The elementary school duty day is proposed to start 30 minutes before the beginning of class and end 25 minutes after dismissal. For middle school teachers, the duty day is proposed to start 20 minutes before the beginning of class and end 35 minutes after dismissal.

Some exceptions to those duty schedules are included, such as for districtwide early release days. Language defining the length of the day for high school teachers is already included in the contract, and also adds time before and after class that totals 55 minutes.

Reber told district representatives that the union also intends to propose language at a future meeting that would clarify teacher obligations regarding parent-teacher conferences, particularly for elementary school teachers.

“There seems to be maybe a need for more consistency from one building to the next,” he said.

Monday’s meeting was the third between negotiators. At their meeting April 4, committees made up of union and district representatives recommended adjustments to the schedule of the district’s elementary schools that would lengthen lunch by five minutes and give teachers two more days for planning per year. Those changes were also reflected in the union’s proposal Monday.

Though teachers’ workload has been one of the main concerns addressed by the union so far in negotiations, a proposal regarding teacher salaries is forthcoming, Reber told district representatives. Those proposals are planned for future negotiation meetings with the hope that more will be known about the level of state funding the district will receive, Reber explained after the meeting.

Earlier this month, Gov. Sam Brownback signed a school funding equity bill that supporters hope will satisfy the Kansas Supreme Court. The Supreme Court declared parts of the current funding system unconstitutional in February, and said it will close Kansas schools next school year unless lawmakers fix it. Oral arguments in the case are scheduled for May 10.

Teacher and district negotiators have two additional sessions scheduled. The next meeting will be from 5 to 7 p.m. May 2 at district offices, 110 McDonald Drive.