JULY 30 - AUGUST 6, 2025
VOLUME 32, ISSUE 29
THE DEFINITIVE SOURCE FOR GRAND JUNCTION BUSINESS & COMMUNITY NEWS SINCE 1994
Mediation successful as D51, teachers agree on terms Step Increases will be suspended, but one-time payouts are approved
THEBUSINESSTIMES.COM
Post-Pandemic Pivot
Brandon Leuallen
A
The Business Times
fter months of tension and a breakdown in contract negotiations, School District 51 and the Mesa Valley Education Association reached an agreement through mediation, putting an end to this year’s impasse and avoiding the uncertainty of continued deadlock. The mediated agreement, finalized July 14, now awaits ratification by the union membership and final approval from the school board. According to an email sent from communicate@d51schools.org to staff members, a notable change is the suspension of vertical step increases for the 2025-26 school year in favor of one-time raises. According to the school district, “steps” refer to incremental salary increases educators typically receive for each additional year of service. Each year of experience usually corresponds with a higher step on the district’s salary schedule. See D51 on page 4
Pivot Provisions & Design Studio’s owners created their downtown GJ business after their California business was a COVID casualty. — See story, Page 2 Pivot Provisions & Design Studio co-owners Ian Gouldstone, left, and Staci Mikita stand next to a display in their store, which opened July 10. The front one-third of the store is the retail shop in which they sell casual apparel and accessories for men and women. The middle one-third of the store is the design studio, where they will design promotional products for businesses, and they expect that will be the core of their business. Photo by Tim Harty.
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 67 The Business Times 609 North Ave., Suite 5 Grand Junction, CO 81501