Lawrence school district, teachers union to use new negotiation method

Lawrence school district administrators and the Lawrence Education Association (LEA) will follow a new format for contract negotiations this year, and they’ve planned 28 hours’ worth of meetings.

District spokeswoman Julie Boyle said via email that the negotiation teams have been trained in interest-based bargaining, or IBB. She said that changes the format of meetings into “collaborative-style discussions among one team working together.”

A federal mediator will guide the process, Boyle said.