ASD town hall postponed in response to planned teacher rally

The Aberdeen School District has postponed tonight's town hall meeting after learning that teachers in the Aberdeen Education Association planned to hold a rally during it. The meeting was going to be centered on the upcoming school year and ongoing contract negotiations with teachers, but the district decided to postpone after learning of the planned teacher response.

"It has come to our attention that union leaders are organizing a protest rather than allow their members and the community the opportunity to talk with us," according to a press release from the Aberdeen School Board sent out Sunday afternoon. "A shared understanding of our district's finances is vital to our future."

AEA Vice President Erik Peterson said the union will still rally "in support of teachers and the collective bargaining process" despite the town hall being cancelled. The protest is set for 5:30 p.m. in Aberdeen High School's main entrance area.

At recent school board meetings, Aberdeen teachers and community members have commented wishing there was a more direct way to communicate with school officials and get responses, rather than just public comment periods at board meetings. Superintendent Alicia Henderson said the district wanted to host a town hall so they could provide that extra feedback and answer the public's questions and concerns.

"We believe there are citizens and staff who would have benefited from an informal opportunity to talk with us, but we have no desire for confrontations at the front door," the press release says.