Sheridan School District leaders, teachers union restart negotiations under orders from Gov. Jared Polis

Teachers and staff in Sheridan School District could lose their health insurance starting May 1 as a teachers strike that began three weeks ago in the tiny Denver metro district drags on. The seismic tensions between district and union leaders have prompted Gov. Jared Polis' office to intervene in hopes of making progress on negotiations.

Members of Polis' team met in his office Thursday morning with Superintendent Gionni Thompson, school board president Karla Najera, Sheridan Educators Association president Kate Biester and another representative from the Colorado Education Association, according to CEA spokesperson Kailee Stiles.

Polis on Wednesday warned the sides that his office would step in if they did not reach an agreement.

During a news conference Thursday afternoon, Polis said the meeting set up by his office was still ongoing.

"They can't figure everything out, that's fine," Polis said. "Let's at least get the teachers back to the classroom, kids back to the classroom."

"It's hard to make up some of those missing educational hours," he added. "So I continue to encourage both sides to be able to resolve what can be resolved, and agree to disagree and figure out the rest at some point in the future, after the school year is over."

The meeting comes after district officials notified teachers in an email Wednesday that they will no longer receive health insurance benefits through the district and some employees might owe the district money.

On Thursday evening, Thompson called conclusions the union drew from the email a "misunderstanding."

Thompson told The Colorado Sun that the district wanted to warn employees who haven't been paid while on strike that their health insurance coverage could lapse if they do not keep up with paying the employee share of their premiums, which often comes directly out of their paycheck.

"We didn't want to have any employee in a situation where they may not have coverage," Thompson said.

The Sun obtained the email circulated Wednesday by Jamie Romero, the district's executive director for human resources.

"This has been an incredibly challenging time for our entire school community, and I recognize the personal and professional strain that this situation may be placing on you and your families," Romero wrote. "As the strike continues, we have reached a point where there may be financial implications related to employee benefits. Depending on your individual benefit elections and coverage, there is a possibility that you may be responsible for reimbursing the District for your portion of benefit premiums that have been paid during this time."

The district email notes that employees can continue receiving coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, or COBRA, and they would have to pay the cost of their premium.

CEA acknowledged the misunderstanding in a statement Thursday evening, attributing it to "unfortunate timing" of the district's email.

The Sheridan Educators Association is "pleased to hear the district never intended to cause harm to educators in this way," Stiles, of CEA, wrote in the statement.

Biester, also a social studies teacher, wrote in a statement Thursday morning that the district's plan to no longer cover health insurance for staff is an indication that district officials are "more interested in punishing educators for going on strike than getting us all back into our classrooms."

"Our negotiations are at a standstill because the district wants us to work without the basic workplace protections we need," Biester wrote in the statement. "Cutting us, and our families, off from basic healthcare access doesn't achieve any policy goals here; it's just cruel."

The local union began striking April 1 after educators have worked the entire school year without an active teachers contract. The previous contract expired July 31 and the union is urging the district to recognize the union as a bargaining unit. Union and district leaders remain gridlocked over a district policy that lays out the process for the district to recognize a union.

Emotions have run high over the past three weeks. The Sheridan Educators Association is threatening to recall the district's four school board members while state lawmakers are crafting legislation that would consolidate Sheridan School District with another district, possibly Denver Public Schools.

Staff writer Jesse Paul contributed to this report.