For the second consecutive year, the Lake Washington School District (LWSD) and Lake Washington Education Association (LWEA) have agreed to postpone teacher contract negotiations for another year.

The decision, which was unanimously approved by the district’s board of directors at Monday’s board meeting and by an LWEA vote of 96 percent, will extend the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) through August 2013. The CBA contract was originally negotiated for September 2008 through August 2011, but was extended last year due to the uncertainty of the state economy.

In addition, both sides agreed to a revised 2012-13 school district calendar, which includes two additional work days for teachers.

LWEA President Kevin Teeley said the state of the economy was once again a factor in their decision to extend the contract another year.

“We were really scared to death that there would be more cuts,” he said.

There were no new cuts this year, but there was no new money coming in either, just as Teeley and his colleagues expected.

Teeley said LWEA officials felt that they did not think it was likely for the state Legislature to allocate additional funds to K-12 education this year even with the favorable Supreme Court ruling in January stating that public education is not adequately funded by the state as outlined in Washington’s Constitution.

Janene Fogard, deputy superintendent of operational services for LWSD, said the financial situation at the state level has a significant impact on the contract negotiations between the district and LWEA.

State funding is a major factor in whether the district will be able to honor teachers’ — and other employees’ — contracts, Forgard said. She added that the lack of new cuts this year is a positive sign for public education.

“I’m hopeful,” she said. “There are some signs the economy is recovering.”

However, Fogard is still cautious because major improvements to education will be a long process. She said there is no magic wand to wave to instantly fix things.

Another reason LWSD and LWEA decided to forgo negotiations once again was the district’s upcoming grade reconfiguration to a K-5, 6-8 and 9-12 system this fall.

Fogard said because the transition is very complicated and involved, it seemed like a good time to just extend teacher contracts for another year rather than add another equally complicated and involved process into the mix.

Teeley agreed.

“It was just better to not have the contract negotiations hanging over our heads,” he said. “It just made more sense to not add that onto all of the existing pressures.”

Teeley said with the renewed contract, teacher salary will remain the same even though state funding for this had been cut by 1.9 percent. He said the district is using local levy funds to make up the difference.

While teacher pay is remaining the same, Fogard said there will be a few changes.

“It’s the same terms,” she said. “The only real change was the calendar.”

A LWSD press release, released Wednesday afternoon, outlined the upcoming calendar changes.

The changes include moving the last day of school to Wednesday, June 19, instead of Tuesday, June 18.

As part of the changes, teachers will work two additional days — one teacher-only day at the end of August and one student transition day for secondary schools before school starts.

The teacher-only professional development day, known as a LEAP day, will be Friday, Aug. 31.

In conjunction with the district’s change in grade configuration to four-year high schools, a transition day has been added for secondary schools on Tuesday, Sept. 4. District junior high schools, serving grades seven to nine, will reopen this fall as middle schools serving grades six through eight. High schools will also change and serve grades nine through 12.

During the Sept. 4 transition day, secondary school students will get an introduction to their new school in a smaller group. The first official day for all schools will be Sept. 5.

The updated 2012-13 calendar can be found here.

Fogard said they have already begun discussing training and what issues need to be addressed when the district enters negotiations with LWEA in December and January 2013, adding that it usually takes them a few months to finalize a new CBA, which typically is a three-year contract.

Forgard said negotiations for the next CBA are expected to be complete by next April or May.