Scarsdale Teachers and Board of Education Agree on New Contract

The Scarsdale Board of Education and the Scarsdale Teacher's Association have come to an agreement for a new three-year contract. The announcement was made at the July 1 Board of Education meeting, concluding a tumultuous year of budget discussions and the rejection by voters of the initial proposed budget in May. The new contract freezes all salary increases for two years and eliminates Step increases during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 years. No cost of living (COLA) increase will be applied to the salary schedule.

Though salaries will not go up, the new contract provides teachers with stipends in lieu of increases. Effective September, 2015 there will be changes to the Step schedule that will increase the time it takes to move between lanes. In addition, beginning in 2014 Scarsdale teachers will contribute to their healthcare costs via payroll deductions.

Provisions of the new contract, which can be reviewed on the district website, include the following:

-Salaries will be frozen for the next two years and will increase by .05% in September, 2015 and by another .05% as of February, 2016.

-Beginning in 2014-15 all members eligible for health insurance will contribute 7% of the COBRA cost through payroll deduction.

-The Board will increase payments to the STA Benefit Trust Fund, that covers dental and life insurance, by $60 per year per employee in year 1, $60 in year 2 and $60 in year 3.

-Teachers who announce their retirement before January 15 of the year will receive a $10,000 stipend.

A joint committee will be formed to study the policy and practice regarding non-resident staff children attending District schools The Committee, will be made up of equal number of designees appointed by the President of the STA
and the Superintendent of Schools and will include a representative from the Board of Education. The committee will issue its finding and recommendations no later than October 1, 2015

Analysis:

Under the one year extension of the prior contract, which remained in force until a new agreement was signed, teachers were entitled to a 2.00% increase per year...(following a giveback from the teachers in an extension of the prior contract.)  So, in the first two years of the new contract, the salary freeze will save the district an estimated $2,000,000 per year, or $4,000,000. This savings will be partially offset by the stipends, which for the 420 teachers will total $525,000 in year one and $735,000 in year two But, the $1,260,000 in total stipend payments will not increase the salary base – which will also save the district on pension and retirement contributions. 

Critics of the first school budget complained that Scarsdale teachers were among the highest paid in the state, and the two year hiatus on salary growth stipulated in the new contract should work to bring Scarsdale faculty salaries in alignment with comparable districts. The new contract addresses another commonly heard criticism that teachers do not contribute to their health care costs, even though they pay very high co-pays per visit. This contract will require a 7% contribution beginning in 2014-15. To appease those who objected to staff children's attendance in Scarsdale Schools tuition-free, the contract calls for a study of this practice leading to recommendations.

Newly elected Board president Suzanne Seiden gave the following statement about the contract at the Board meeting on Monday night:

I am pleased to announce that the Board of Education and the Scarsdale Teachers Association have reached a contract Agreement that we will vote on tonight.

Negotiations were conducted in a spirit of partnership from our very first session in February 2013, and that spirit continued throughout the entire process. Both sides recognized that the uniquely excellent education offered by the Scarsdale Schools relies upon collaboration among the community, administration, Board and STA.

I am going to provide some context and then will ask Board members to explain different aspects of the Agreement. After that, the Board may have some discussion and then will vote on the Agreement.

It has been several years since we have negotiated an entire contract. The last Contract originally covered 2007-2012 and in 2008, the parties agreed to extend it through June 30th of this year. The Board began preparing for the current round of negotiations last summer, and the first bargaining session was February 14th.

The Board set goals for the negotiations. We believe we have reached those goals. The overarching goals were to slow the growth of both compensation and benefits and to bend the cost curve so that both salary and benefits would be in line with comparable districts in the region. To achieve these goals, the parties restructured the salary schedule and restructured the employee cost share for the Scarsdale Health Insurance Plan.

Both parties were mindful of recent contract settlements in the area as well as the importance of maintaining the professional standing of Scarsdale's dedicated teaching staff.  Throughout the negotiations process, the Board listened carefully to all points of view at Board meetings, through letters, emails and community reports. We participated in good faith exchange with the faculty organization, recognizing the particular demands and parameters of public sector bargaining law.

Many people know when you are involved in contract negotiations, the result is a compromise. There is no winner and no loser.  While I expect some community members will applaud this agreement, others may feel this fell short. Most important here is that the agreement benefits the District – all the students and the entire community.

We believe the settlement is a meaningful and pragmatic response to a challenging economic environment, the realities of managing one of America's premier school districts, and residents' financial capacity.

Board member Lew Leone provided a more detailed explanation of the terms of the new contract:

The term of the new STA contract is 3 years. The current salary schedule will remain in effect for two years and there will be no Step increments for two years.

In the 2013-14 school year returning teachers will receive a one-time non-recurring salary payment of $1250. Nurses, Ot's and PT's will receive $750. In the 2014-2015 school year returning teachers will receive a recurring salary payment of $1750 with nurses, OT's and PT's receiving $800.

In the 2015-2016 school year Step advancement will occur. On September 1, 2015 the salary schedule will increase 0.5% and on February 1, 2016 it will increase by another 0.5%.

On September 30th 2015, four new Steps will be added to the salary schedule at 2A, 6A, 11A and 14A. The amount of the new Step will be determined by adding one half of the value between the numbered Step and the next Step. For example Step 2A will be halfway between Steps 2 and 3.The other part of the contract which effects compensation is the decrease in the allowable STI credits which can be earned each year. Currently teachers can accumulate 8 credits.

In the 2014-2015 school year the number of allowable earned credits will decrease to 6. Also on the MA lanes 15 credits must be earned before a salary increase is realized. Currently a pay as you earn process is in effect where salary is increased with each earned credit.

The structural changes in this contract which slow salary growth over time include an increase in the number of Steps, an increase in the time it takes to move between Lanes and a freeze in the schedule for 2 years.

Commenting on the new agreement, Scarsdale Teacher's Association President Trudy Moses said, "The teachers and the Board of Education have, historically in negotiations, been partners in addressing each other's needs. This negotiation continues that partnership."

 A collective statement from the Scarsdale Teachers Association and the Board of Education concludes as follows:

"Both sides recognize that the uniquely excellent education offered by the Scarsdale schools relies upon collaboration among the community, administration, BOE and STA. Both parties have shared responsibility for finding a structural solution that will control compensation over the long term and assure that teachers' are more closely aligned with those in comparable districts. The terms of the Agreement reflect a common understanding of recent contract settlements in the area while maintaining the professional standing of Scarsdale's dedicated teaching staff."