Appeal of Watson

The core issue in this case is whether a school board which in the past has notified teachers who were not renominated or re-elected of the reasons for nonrenewal may unilaterally change that practice without bargaining.

The three school boards included in school administrative unit number 22 adopted a written policy on August 22, 1972, which clearly provided that any teacher, whether probationary or tenured, who was not renominated or re-elected was to be notified of the *666reason or reasons in writing upon written request to the superintendent of the unit. From 1972 until 1980, all individual…