Teachers, board trying to settle new contract 2 sides present cases

Teachers, board trying
to settle new contract
2 sides present cases

to state fact-finder;

report expected soon

BY DAVE BENJAMIN

Staff Writer

Teachers in the K-8 Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District are waiting for a new contract.

Now that a Sept. 30 school construction referendum has been approved by residents, the next order of business is for the Board of Education to finalize a new contract with the Manal-apan-Englishtown Education Association, according to MEEA President Ken Weber.

"The passage of the referendum was a clear message that this district is committed to maintaining high quality public schools," Weber said. "We’re going to be adding more than 700 students in the next three years, and we’ll need to add a large number of quality teachers to our staff. It’s vital that we pay salaries and benefits that will allow us to attract and retain the best people."

After failing to reach an agreement following face-to-face bargaining and two sessions with a state mediator, the 441-member MEEA and the board each presented their case to a state fact-finder on Oct. 9. The fact-finder’s report and recommendations are expected within a few weeks.

Weber said salaries and health benefits are the key obstacles to an agreement. He said there is more than adequate funding in the current budget to resolve the two concerns.

"The board has told the state there will be a sizable surplus in its current budget," the union president said. "That’s more than enough, significantly more than enough, to settle this contract and still leave the district with a sizable surplus. It’s important that district taxpayers know that."

Weber said the case the union presented to the state fact-finder was based on solid research.

"It’s a documented fact that the students in this district perform at the highest levels and our members are proud of that fact," he said. "The district is getting quality education at the expense of its teachers and that can’t continue.

"The district and the parents in the district are obviously committed to the highest standards in their public school. We must make our salaries, and our starting salaries in particular, much more competitive if we want to attract the best teachers to the district," he said.

According to figures provided by dis­trict administrators, starting salaries for teachers are as follows: $36,870 for a teacher with a bachelor’s degree; $38,920 for a teacher with a bachelor’s degree plus 30 additional college credits; $40,570 for a teacher with a master’s de­gree; and $43,070 for a teacher with a master’s degree plus 30 additional col­lege credits.

Neither side would say what offer is currently on the table.

Weber said health benefits are of equal concern to the association’s mem­bers.

"Right now, almost 70 percent of our teachers pay 10 percent of their depen­dent health care benefits," Weber said. "Statewide, we’re one of only 15 districts in the state health benefits program (which has 300 school districts) that re­quire payment for dependent coverage. The other districts pay for all dependent coverage for their teachers. How are we supposed to compete with them?"

The district can easily afford to re­solve both issues, thanks to a healthy budget surplus, Weber said.

"Our teachers do a fantastic job," he said. "That’s what the taxpayers, parents and the board expect. But they can’t con­tinue to expect that level of excellence at the expense of our teachers and their families. Our members have shown re­markable patience in working without a new agreement."

Weber said it is time to resolve the contract, "because it’s becoming a dis­traction to all parties."

Board President James Mumolie said the teachers are working under the terms of the contract which expired in June. Teacher contracts typically run for three years. The board president also noted that there is always a surplus in the budget.

"The state allows us to have a 3 per­cent surplus," Mumolie said. "That doesn’t mean the surplus should all go to teachers salaries and benefits, because the district needs certain things throughout the year."

He said the surplus is used for items such as an increase in the number of special education children entering the district.

"That cuts into the surplus and you can’t budget for something like that," the board president said.

There is also the cost of inflation, the unexpected rising costs of heating and there are facilities that need to be main­tained, Mumolie said.

During a conference call with the News Transcript on Oct. 7, Superintendent of Schools Maureen Lally said there are three things to be addressed — the number of teachers to be hired; a sizable surplus; and teacher salaries.

"Our anticipation is that when we open our buildings and we are taking care of classrooms that do not now exist, that are being conducted in offices, etc., we anticipate hiring up to six teachers (in the 2005-06 school year)," Lally said. "That’s our initial number. I don’t think that’s a large number."

Regarding the budget surplus, she said, "The state recommends a 3 percent surplus. That’s for a variety of emergen­cies."

Business Administrator Joseph Passiment agreed there is a surplus which is slightly above 3 percent of the budget.

"We have that because we have some costs that we did not put into the budget that are now coming back," he said. "They play into the surplus that we need, primarily in the area of special ed­ucation."

Passiment said special education is an area that is subject to change because administrators cannot anticipate every child who will need special attention.

"This particular year we have used all of the out-of-district placements we bud­geted for and then some," the business administrator said. "So now we’re begin­ning to use our surplus for that and we’re in the area of over $200,000 in ex­penditures from the surplus fund in that area. That’s why the surplus is where it is."

Regarding teacher salaries, Lally said the district is above the state mean.

"We have data that supports the posi­tion of the board," said Randy Kanter, director of personnel. "We have put to­gether a report that shows that if you look at Monmouth, Ocean, Middlesex and Mercer counties and you look at the school districts that are in the same K-8 socioeconomic grouping, you’ll find that (the district’s salary guides are higher.)"

Kanter said, "For Manalapan-Englishtown, if you compare salary guides for the last school year, 2002-03, our salary guide [shows] that a bachelor of arts minimum is higher than any other district except for Red Bank Borough. The bachelor of arts maximum in Manalapan-Englishtown is higher than any other district."

The personnel director also noted the master’s of arts minimum and maximum are higher than any other district.

"We feel we are extremely competitive when it comes to attracting and retain­ing teachers in the district," said Kanter. "This is data that comes from the New Jersey Education Association."

Lally said every employee receives free health benefits. It is only when the employee requests a family plan that the district asks the employee to pay 10 per­cent of the cost.

"That’s approximately $800 a year," Kanter said.

Lally said 56 people out of about 450 staff members pay that.

Passiment noted that those employees chose that specific plan.

Although Weber mentioned that the district is among 15 districts in the state health benefits plan that require pay­ment for dependent coverage, Kanter pointed out that there are more than 600 school districts in New Jersey and that a significant number of employees make contributions.

The state fact-finder is presently hearing evidence from the MEEA and the board. It is expected that within a few weeks a non-binding report contain­ing a recommendation for a contract set­tlement will be issued.