Residents who attended the deliberative session for the renegotiated John Stark Regional High School teachers’ contract Tuesday night were not satisfied with the newest proposal laid before them.
Weare and Henniker voters turned down a three-year contract – which would have increased spending by $382,393 – at the annual meeting in March, but they approved a warrant article allowing the district to renegotiate cost items associated with the contract. The result was a new three-year contract proposal costing about $53,000 less than the one voters rejected.
However, some who attended the meeting said they didn’t think the school board did enough to cut taxpayers a better deal, and questioned why the meeting was held in the first place if residents could not amend the article.
“If we’re not able to do something about the issues being raised, what’s the purpose of the meeting?” asked Henniker resident John Kjellman.
Board Chairman Zach Lawson said he agreed with Shellman, but that the noticed meeting – as well as the pink slips residents were given at the beginning of the meeting usually used to vote with during deliberative sessions – is required under the law in SB 2 towns. He pointed out that should voters reject the new contract during the special election in late June, teachers will go through the next school year without a new contract. The current contract expires June 30.
Other residents expressed frustration over the increase in spending the new contract would have, despite its decrease.
Lori Davis, Weare resident and vice chairwoman of the Weare Finance Committee, said the board and teachers did not do enough to lessen its impact on the tax rate.
“I’m listening to the way this is negotiated, and it seems like you’re not listening to your taxpayers,” she said. “(Teachers) have got to understand that it comes down to if you want a job, we’re going to be cutting benefits and you’re going to be paying more. If someone wants New York City benefits, those are in New York.”
The biggest change in the new contract comes from a freezing of step amount raises – incremental increases in pay for teachers – for the first year, although each full-time employee will receive $1,000 in compensation beyond their 2016-17 salary. Teachers will receive a 2.11 percent step increase each of the next two years, a decrease from the rejected contract’s 3.63 percent. Overall, the contract will cost taxpayers $329,248 over three years, compared to the rejected contract’s projected cost of $382,393.
Other aspects of the contract remain unchanged, such as the requirement that teachers obtain a master’s degree by their 10th year of employment, and an increase in the number of years needed to reach the top of the pay scale from 12 to 20.
The new contract would have a tax rate impact of $0.08 per $1,000 of assessed property value in Weare and Henniker, or $20 on a $250,000 home.
Ballot voting for the contract will occur on June 20 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Henniker Community School and the Weare Middle School.
(Caitlin Andrews can be reached at 369-3309, candrews@cmonitor.com or on Twitter at @ActualCAndrews.)