Prior to the meeting, a group of educators and parents protested outside the administration building.

According to a Facebook page entitled “SPEAK for DCSD,” the protesters are unhappy with the direction the district is taking.

The Facebook page and an associated document called a “Call to Action” encouraged faculty and parents to peacefully protest for the school board to resume negotiations with the Douglas County Federation of Teachers and Classified Employees and eliminate market-based pay for teachers. The document also says they want a relationship between the school district and community which “embraces and exemplifies collaboration and cooperation to provide the best education for our students.”

“Contrary to popular belief,” the Facebook page says, “the Peaceful Protest was started by a teacher, NOT the union.”

Teachers said the school board’s plan was to present voters with ballot measures that would prevent collective bargaining. They suggested it was retaliation and a way for the board to take control after a recent survey of school district employees that exposed bad morale.

The union hired a lawyer and believes the board can’t take that action. The district believes they could.

“I think a lot of people want to call it union busting, but when you think about what a true union is, a true union is made up of their employees. It is made up of teachers and classified. What I truly believe this district is trying to do is silence the voices of our employees,” said Brenda Smith, president of the Douglas County Federation of Teachers and Classified Employees.

Union employees called the board's action Wednesday night a power grab.