A North Dakota senator wants the Legislature to explore doing away with local salary schedules and negotiations and make teachers state employees. And he has education groups seriously pondering the possibility.

Sen. John Warner, D-Ryder, plans to introduce a study resolution when the Legislature convenes next month to look at the feasibility of turning K-12 teachers into state employees. North Dakota School Board Association members are contemplating whether to support such a measure after being contacted by Warner.

If the Senate and the House passed the resolution, an interim committee would study issues including how a state employee system for teachers would work, costs, funding sources, teacher benefits and the affect on local control. If it proved viable and gained enough support, a bill would be introduced in 2007.

The idea surfaced during the 2003 session, when the Legislature required districts to use 70 percent of any new foundation aid for teachers salaries. Administrators and school boards were unhappy with the move because it chipped away at local control. They said that if the state wanted to tell them how to spend district money, maybe it should just take over teacher compensation entirely.

"Since the governor and Legislature is interested in getting involved in negotiations, and it's compromising the school boards' ability to negotiate, maybe we should talk about the state making teachers state employees," said Jon Martinson, executive director of the School Board Association.

Some educators find the idea attractive because it would eliminate drawn-out teacher negotiations that can become contentious and cause tension between teachers and school boards. It also would raise teachers salaries and benefits in rural districts to the same level as the state's largest districts.

But others are against the idea, saying it would hurt large districts and open the door for more state control in local decision-making.

Gloria Lokken, North Dakota Education Association president, said the teacher group wouldn't support making teachers state employees. The state would have to use the best contract and benefit program in North Dakota to make it work, she said.

"I don't think in reality that's going to happen," she said.

Some teachers and board members said negotiations give districts flexibility to manage problems facing their district and their money while teachers gain ownership over their contract.

Warner said he wants to keep the negotiation process, but take it to a state level. The NDEA would work out a statewide salary schedule with the state. Local boards would work out details including the number of days teachers work and the length of their workday.

"There are so many questions about all of this stuff," said Arden Eide, board of director member for the School Board Association. "There are all of these questions that have to be answered before a person knows what side of the issue they should be on."

(Reach reporter Sheena Dooley at 250-8225 or sheenadooley@ndonline.com.)