Robinson v. Joint School Dist. No. 331, Minidoka, Cassia, Jerome and Lincoln Counties

• Decision Date: 06 October 1983
• Docket Number: No. 14753,14753
• Citation: 670 P.2d 894,105 Idaho 487
• Parties: , 14 Ed. Law Rep. 186 W. Monte ROBINSON, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 331, MINIDOKA, CASSIA, JEROME and LINCOLN COUNTIES, State of Idaho, Defendant-Respondent.
• Court: Idaho Supreme Court

Page 894

670 P.2d 894

105 Idaho 487, 14 Ed. Law Rep. 186

W. Monte ROBINSON, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 331, MINIDOKA, CASSIA, JEROME and LINCOLN COUNTIES, State of Idaho, Defendant-Respondent.

No. 14753.

Supreme Court of Idaho.

Oct. 6, 1983.

Byron Johnson, Boise, for plaintiff-appellant.

Roger D. Ling of Ling, Nielsen & Robinson, Rupert, for defendant-respondent.

BISTLINE, Justice.

The plaintiff Monte Robinson brought an action to recover an additional ten percent of his base salary for the 1978-79 school year which he alleged was due under a policy of the Joint School District No. 331 to pay such an additional amount to teachers who taught six class periods each day. Robinson appeals from a decision of the district court which reversed on appeal a decision of the magistrate awarding judgment in favor of Robinson for compensation allegedly due pursuant to a policy of the District to pay teachers required to teach six class periods a day a salary increment equal to ten percent of their base salary. The facts giving rise to this action are as follows:

On December 11, 1972, the Board of Trustees of the District adopted a Policy Handbook which contained a portion designated as "TEACHERS PROVISIONS OF EMPLOYMENT" (the Provisions of Employment). One of the provisions stated:

"4. All teachers whose services are required for more than 190 days or from whom special services are required in time spent above the actual teaching day shall be contracted according to the salary schedule plus increments to be determined by the Board of Trustees."

On May 15, 1973, five teachers from Minico High School met with the Board to request additional salaries for teaching six periods a day. Teachers at Minico High School were ordinarily required to teach only five classes a day. The Board agreed to the teachers' request and agreed that the additional amount to be paid would be ten percent of a teacher's base salary. The minutes of the Board meeting provide:

"Mrs. Lindstrom, Mr. Senecal, Mr. Caldwell, Mr. Barnes, and Mr. McDaniel met with the board to request additional salaries for teaching six periods each day.

"It was decided to pay additional for teachers teaching six periods a day." (Emphasis added.)

During the period from May 15, 1973, until the time of the trial in this case, other teachers at Minico High School in addition to those named in the Board minutes were paid ten percent extra for teaching a sixth class period. ¹

On April 15, 1974, the Board amended portions of the Provisions of Employment that are unrelated to the present case. However, the District alleges that the Provisions of Employment in existence at the time of those amendments included the following provision:

"2. ... The salary for special services as indicated in paragraph two of the Standard Teachers Contract, is not included in the annual salary as provided in Section 33-1212, Idaho Code. Salaries for special services will be determined annually by the Board of Trustees. The District reserves the right to make adjustments in the assignment of teaching duties or special services as indicated on the contract when it determines that such change is in the best interest of the District." (Emphasis added.)

Although it appears that this provision was contained in the policy books prepared by assistant superintendent Doyle Lowder, whose duty it was to prepare the books and to make appropriate corrections when changes in policies were made, there is nothing in the minutes of the Board which demonstrate that this provision had been adopted by the Board prior to April 15, 1974. The Board minutes reveal, however, that such a provision was specifically adopted by the Board on May 16, 1978, as part of the Provisions of Employment:

"c. Salaries for special assignments will be determined annually by the Board of Trustees.

"d. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to make adjustments in the assignment of teaching duties or special assignments as indicated on the contract when it determines that such change is in the best interest of the School District."

In May of 1976, the Minidoka County Teachers Association and the Board negotiated an agreement (the Master Agreement) pursuant to the Professional Negotiations Act, which provided in part:

"All existing district policies involving terms and conditions of professional service, matters relating directly to the employer-teacher relationship, and other terms of employment not specifically referred to in this Agreement shall be maintained at not less than the highest minimum standards in effect in the district at the time this Agreement is signed, provided that such conditions shall be improved for the benefit of teachers as required by express provisions of this Agreement. This Agreement shall not be interpreted or applied to deprive teachers of professional advantages heretofore enjoyed unless expressly stated herein."

This provision, the Maintenance of Standards Clause, remained in full force and effect between the Board and the Association up to the time of trial in this case.

Robinson was first employed by the District as a high school teacher for the 1976-77 school year by a written contract dated July 12, 1976. The contract provided for a base salary of $10,253.00, with a ten percent increment to the base salary (in the sum of $1,025.30) for special services described as a "6 period day." Robinson was employed to teach a vocational industrial mechanics class, which was being offered for the first time at Minico High School. There were ninety-seven students enrolled in the new program and taught by Robinson during the 1976-77 school year.

Robinson was re-employed by the District as a high school teacher for the 1977-78 school year by a written contract dated May 19, 1977, which provided for a base salary of $10,853.00. Robinson was offered, but did not accept, the opportunity to teach six periods a day for an additional ten percent of the base salary provided for in his contract. The District then agreed to pay another teacher, Bruce L. Koon, an additional ten percent of the base salary provided in his contract for teaching the additional period which had been offered to Robinson, but which Robinson had not accepted. There were fifty students enrolled in the industrial mechanics program during the 1977-78 school year, divided into six classes, five of which were taught by Robinson.

The dispute here in question arises out of the contract between Robinson and the District for the 1978-79 school year. Robinson received and signed a contract of employment on May 23, 1978, which he then turned in to the District for approval. Robinson testified that he received notice from the principal prior to the end of the school year that he would be expected to teach six class periods the following year. However, the contract which he signed on May 23, 1978, made no reference to Robinson's teaching six class periods. On June 7, 1978, Robinson met with the superintendent of schools, Mr. Fagg, at which time the proposed contract which had previously been submitted to Robinson was discussed. During this discussion it was explained to Robinson that he would be teaching six periods a day, at which time Robinson pointed out that the contract did not say anything about six periods a day. At that time and at the direction of Mr. Fagg, the following words were typed at the top of the contract: "This includes a six period day." Thereupon, Robinson requested that he be paid an additional ten percent of his base salary for teaching the sixth class period, which request was denied by Mr. Fagg. On or about June 23, 1978, Robinson received a copy of the May 23, 1978, contract which had been approved by the Board.

On August 16, 1978, Robinson called Mr. Fagg and again requested a ten percent salary increment and Mr. Fagg again refused the request. On August 29, 1978, Robinson and Larry Caldwell, another teacher, met with Mr. Fagg to discuss the denial of the ten percent salary increment, but Mr. Fagg's position remained unchanged. At that meeting the filing of a formal grievance was discussed, and it was agreed that a grievance could be filed by Robinson by September 13, 1978.

On September 1, 1978, Robinson signed a new contract which increased the compensation he was to receive because he had accumulated college credits over the summer, and provided for a base salary of $12,195.00. This contract contained the provision that Robinson would teach a sixth class period, but Robinson testified that at the time he signed the contract he did not see the provision.

On September 11, 1978, Robinson filed his grievance with the Board. The grievance was denied by a letter from Superintendent Fagg on September 19, 1978, and was denied by the Board by a letter dated October 17, 1978.

The District directed Robinson to teach six periods a day for the 1978-79 school year, and he did so. There were forty-six students enrolled in the industrial mechanics program during the 1978-79 year, divided into six classes.

On June 29, 1979, Robinson made a written demand on the District for payment of the increment to which he claimed he was entitled for teaching six periods during the 1978-79 school year. Thereafter this action was commenced by Robinson against the District. Following a trial in magistrate's division, the magistrate issued a judgment awarding Robinson a sum equal to ten percent of his base salary for the 1978-79 school year, together with interest, attorney's fees and court costs. The magistrate's decision was based upon its findings that:

"3. On May 15, 1973, the Board decided to pay an additional amount for high school teachers who taught six (6) periods a day.

....

"7. The highest minimum standards in effect in the District at the time the Master Agreement containing the Maintenance of Standards Clause was signed as it related to additional salary for high school teachers teaching six periods a day, was...