Will schools start on time in Snoqualmie, North Bend & Fall City?

SNOQUALMIE -- Teachers in the Snoqualmie Valley School District still had not reached a contract agreement with the district Monday and, with classes scheduled to start Wednesday morning, it appeared that a strike is possible and that school could be delayed.

The district covers 400 square miles, includes the communities of Snoqualmie, North Bend and Fall City and serves about 6,000 students with five elementary schools, two middle schools one high school and one alternative school.

Tony Manjarrez, a spokesman for the Snoqualmie Valley Education Association, the teachers' union, said Monday the rank-and-file will have to decide if they want to strike.

“That’s up for the membership," he said. "We have to see what they want to do and move forward from there. It’s really not our decision; it’s a group effort here.”

At a recent event, Snoqualmie Valley teachers voiced their anger. Teachers want smaller class sizes at the elementary school level and better pay districtwide. Educators say keeping good teachers in town is tough.

“That’s the struggle,” Manjarrez said.  “In this district we’re training too many teachers, spending too many dollars and too much time on training them so they can leave to higher-paying districts in the neighborhood.”

Teachers in South Kitsap and Seattle have reached tentative contract agreements with their districts and will vote to likely accept new contracts Tuesday.

In Snoqualmie, teachers will meet Tuesday afternoon to determine their next step. Teachers might vote to strike, putting the start of the school year on Wednesday morning in question.

In the meantime, the Helman family enjoys one last summer day together. Katrina Helman says it’s simple math -- happy teachers equal well-educated kids.

“As a community we need to rally around who's teaching our kids,” Helman said. “And, if we need to do that, we’re all for it.”

And other parents want the same thing.

Sarah Davis is a parent of a young teen. She said, “I don’t think it’s right because they need to have the support of everybody and they don’t make enough money to do what they’re doing.”