By Jennifer Moody

Albany Democrat-Herald

LEBANON - Number of complaints, grievances, tort claims and unfair labor allegations active against the Lebanon Community School District when leadership changed this summer: 28.

Number still in progress: Zero.

Several years of public infighting had resulted in a backlog of formal complaints from families, teachers and staff by the time Superintendent Rob Hess joined the school district in July.

The gripes ran the gamut, from parent dissatisfaction to collective bargaining disputes to a claim through the Bureau of Labor and Industries.

Department Administrator Dale Koger, a former Lebanon High School principal, joined Hess in taking on the collection of complaints when he rejoined the district in August.

The last one, Koger said, was a single bargaining complaint from an individual teacher, which union president Kim Fandino said was wrapped up Thursday. All issues were solved without going to court.

"Now we can concentrate on what's in front of us instead of behind," Koger said.

Last year the district spent $291,949 on legal fees for multiple lawsuits, investigations and consultations. "This year I will be disappointed if we spend one-tenth of that," Koger said.

Koger said he's not at liberty to discuss most of the financial settlements, but he estimates the total was just over $10,000.

Part of that total is the $1,200 it took just to cancel an arbitration meeting for one of the settled complaints, Koger said.

Fandino said she, Koger and Hess were able to solve most of the problems with a couple of meetings.

"Many of the issues were things where administrators just needed training," Fandino said.

Fandino and Koger say they think problems with the previous administration came down to a lack of trust. When disputes arose, both sides were quick to file paperwork, believing any other approach would lead to misunderstandings, retaliation or punitive action.

Now, Fandino said, "(Hess) has given everyone in the district a clean slate from which to start. ... It's like a huge do-over, like the reset on a video game."

James Sundell, the Oregon Education Association consultant who works with the district's employee unions, said the atmosphere Hess and Koger have created inspires trust.

One example: A recent contract agreement with the Lebanon Association of Classified Employees marked the first time in seven years the union has not had to resort to mediation to settle bargaining.

"There's immediate assurance that you are valued, that, 'We want you to have a good working relationship, we want to do the right thing, call me again if there are any problems,'" Sundell said.

"I think the Lebanon Community School District is headed in the right direction."