Teacher raises, school fix call

Friday, March 5, 2010

Photo by headshotsnh.com/ Joanne Smith Teachers, paraprofessionals and other school workers stood outside Harvest Market and Dunkin Donuts on Saturday, February 13, to interact with the public on issues surrounding the school warrant articles that will appear on the ballot March 9.They wanted to present the public with what they called "positive, accurate information" regarding the issues and asked registered voters to sign a letter concerning school salary increases.

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BEDFORD – Voters on Tuesday will decided on teacher and staff salary increases, along with a proposed $7.85 million bond to fix McKelvie Intermediate School.

Residents will head to Bedford High School on Tuesday to vote on the proposed 2010-11 Bedford School District Budget. The proposed operating budget is $59.8 million, compared to the current of $57.6 million. If this budget is passed, it will increase the school portion of property tax bills by 81 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation, adding $243 to the annual tax bill on a $300,000 home.

Aside from the operating budget, four major warrant articles will be on the ballot.

One involves a $7.85 million plan to renovate McKelvie school, while the other three ask to pay for salary increases recently negotiated. They are the custodial/maintenance staff of $55,626; secretaries, clerks, instructional teaching assistants and kitchen staff salaries of $164,529; and teacher salary increases totalling $1.09 million.

There are also three conditional articles, which ask that if each salary increase article is defeated, whether the School District can authorize the School Board to call a special meeting to address the cost items.

Warrant Article III, “Negotiated Salary Increase for the Teaching Staff,” asks for $1.09 million to pay for raises in the third year of a three-year collective bargaining agreement between the Bedford School Districts and the Bedford Education Association.

The collective bargaining agreement provides for an average salary increase of 5 percent with a projected tax impact in 2011 of 33 cents.

“Each employee constituency (teachers, support staff, and custodians) negotiated their contracts with the School Board in good faith,” said Lori Thornton, BEA President. “We believe that supporting the negotiated contracts of all school employees is of principal importance in this vote.”

The New Hampshire Department of Education Web site shows the 2009-10 state average minimum starting salary to be $33,120. Bedford starts at $33,834, while Milford starts teachers at a minimum salary of $36,354, and Amherst starts teachers at $38,270.

“The negotiated increases contained in Article III were designed to bring salaries for Bedford teachers closer to parity with those of teachers in similar districts,” said Thornton. “Excellent teachers choose to work in Bedford for a lower salary because the community supports education. We have a profound fear that if the voters reject our negotiated increases this dynamic will change... We do not want to see this talent leave.”

The School Board recommended a vote of yes on this warrant article.

The other key warrant article on the ballot is Article II, “McKelvie Renovations/Capital Improvement Plan Bond.” It asks for $7.85 million to renovate the building and to upgrade safety systems, with a first-year tax impact of 5 cents. The bond would also fund the installation of fire sprinklers and roof repairs at Memorial School and Peter Woodbury School.

Discussion during the Feb. 2 Deliberative Session on the McKelvie renovations came from previous students, teachers and community members who debated between this being a “need” or a “want.”

“I think it was very good to have multiple opinions on that,” School Board Chairman David Sacks said. “(The School Board) feels that is a very necessary thing.”

Kelly McGrath can be reached at 673-3100, ext. 27, or kmcgrath@cabinet.com.