MONTGOMERY: Teachers, staff agree to freeze

School board set to vote tonight

   MONTGOMERY — In the midst of difficult economic times, Montgomery Township teachers and support staff have tentatively agreed to contract concessions totaling $860,000 for the 2011-2012 school year.
   The agreement will go before the Board of Education tonight (Tuesday) at a special public meeting and workshop at 7:30 at the Upper Middle School media center.
   ”Originally we were facing greater than a $3 million shortfall, and so this is apart of the way we’re going to address that shortfall,” said Russ Walsh, director of human resources for the Montgomery Township school district.
   ”They’re taking a freeze for half the year,” Mr. Walsh said. This includes anyone who is covered by collective bargaining agreement: teachers, custodians, secretaries, support staff and clerks and aides.
   ”Essentially it means that for one-half of the year they will not receive the raise, and then the second half of the year they will receive the raise,” Mr. Walsh said.
   Teacher and staff voting took place in the buildings during Jan. 3 and 4, Mr. Walsh said.
   ”All of us in Montgomery are deeply concerned about what is happening in our district because of withheld state funding,” MTEA President Chris Crow said. “The association wen into negotiations with the Board as we were deeply concerned about job loss and program disruption, and the membership as just over 88 percent approved the pay freeze and salary guide reductions.”
   ”Making these concessions will be difficult as teachers in Montgomery earn on average only about $58,000, which is under the state average and significantly less than comparable districts like Princeton and West Windsor-Plainsboro,” Mr. Crow said. “This is also hard for our education support professional as they only earn from one to about two-thirds of what our teachers make.”
   ”The board members have not have the chance to vote on it yet,” he said, stressing the tentative nature of the agreement.
   ”We have terrific teachers, support staff and custodians,” said Superintendent Earl Kim in a statement. “This agreement is a credit to them and to the MTEA leadership team who had the courage to put this proposal forward and the relationships to make it happen.”
   The Montgomery Township School District statement said that the concessions will impact every MTEA member. Teachers will sacrifice between $600 and $2,000 in pay. Custodians, who had been targeted for possible privatization, will see their salaries reduced an average of $3,000.
   Commenting on the agreement, School Board President David Pettit said in a statement, “I want to thank the MTEA leadership for partnering with the district in this endeavor. I also want to send many thanks to the MTEA members for the sacrifice they are making on behalf of our community.”
   The Board of Education is scheduled to take action on employment matters, disposition on bids received for privatized custodial services, and a resolution regarding the use of unexpended bond proceeds for parking lot improvements at Village Elementary School, as well as approval of professional services for this project which includes submission of a project application to the Department of Education and preparation of the necessary plans and specifications and authorize an amendment to the Long Range Facility Plan.
   The agenda for the public workshop includes Eye on Education video presentation; curriculum and assessment presentation; presentation of an energy award; the 2011-2012 proposed school calendar.; the board committee/representative reports; a review of the December board meeting minutes; and a review of the Jan. 25 business meeting draft agenda.