MONROE - A teacher and local union representative Monday questioned the Monroe School Board's decision to delay offering teachers a contract extension last week - before passage of a controversial budget repair bill that restricts collective bargaining rights for Wisconsin teachers and other unionized public employees.
Deb Thompson, a Title I math teacher at Parkside School and member of the Monroe Education Association Negotiations Committee, said the MEA team reached out to the school board's negotiations committee multiple times - and last week presented them with a conservative contract proposal.
But Thompson contends the negotiation committee's response was that they weren't ready to extend the contract because they wanted to wait to see what happened with the state budget stalemate.
The bill limiting collective bargaining was signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker Friday. It takes effect on March 26. The contract for Monroe teachers expires June 30.
Several school districts across the state extended contracts with teachers before the budget repair bill was signed. Under the bill, most state employees will be required to pay 12.6 percent of their health insurance contributions; and half towards retirement.
"This makes me wonder what our district knows and theirs doesn't or what those districts know that ours doesn't that they were willing to sit down with their teachers and negotiate a contract," Thompson said. "I hope I am wrong by thinking some board members are relishing the position of power they are in with collective bargaining rights being abolished."
Monroe School District Superintendent Larry Brown and Monroe Business Manager Ron Olson missed most of the meeting since they were making a referendum presentation to the Lions Club. But in an interview, Brown later agreed with Thompson's characterization of the matter. The board also went into closed session for a negotiations meeting following the Monday's board meeting.
Brown said that - as a result of the bill's passage after weeks of uncertainty - there is now more information available for the negotiations committee to consider related to teacher contracts.
"We are taking it through the process," Brown said.
Walker's proposed budget cuts state aid to school districts by about $900 million, and reduces school districts revenue limits by 5.5 percent, which prevents schools from using property taxes to make up the difference. Thompson said many seasoned teaching veterans at Parkside School are worried about the future.
"With the looming budget crisis and collective bargaining rights stripped away they are afraid that in order for the school district to balance their budget teachers at the top of the salary scale will be fired," Thompson said.
Meanwhile, the district is seeking a $8 million non-recurring referendum on the April 5 ballot.
Depending on how the state aid reduction is assessed, Olson has estimated based on a $900 million state aid reduction that the district could have a reduction of a little more than $1.3 million to a little more than $1.7 million. The district has projected a deficit of $1.6 for 2011-12. Without a referendum, the district is projected to have deficits of about $2.3 million in the 2012-13 year; $3 million in 2013-14 school year; and $3.6 million in the 2014-15. The district is at the end of its four-year, non-recurring referendum, in which voters allowed the district to exceed state revenue caps by $8.3 million.
Thompson said teachers and support staff deserve a lot of credit for enduring drastic cutbacks that have impacted class size, included minimal wage increases that didn't keep up with inflation; and smaller school and classroom budgets.
The district has pledged to make $494,652 in cuts in the 2011-12 school year - regardless of whether a referendum is approved. With retirements, the district could cut as much as $557,090. Officials also approved cuts of 5 percent, or $24,500, to co-curricular activities at the high school.
"It's important to remember school district employees are taxpayers too," Thompson said. "We own homes, we pay property taxes. We don't want to pay any more in taxes than people writing barbs in the newspaper and signing their comments taxpayer."
Deb Thompson, a Title I math teacher at Parkside School and member of the Monroe Education Association Negotiations Committee, said the MEA team reached out to the school board's negotiations committee multiple times - and last week presented them with a conservative contract proposal.
But Thompson contends the negotiation committee's response was that they weren't ready to extend the contract because they wanted to wait to see what happened with the state budget stalemate.
The bill limiting collective bargaining was signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker Friday. It takes effect on March 26. The contract for Monroe teachers expires June 30.
Several school districts across the state extended contracts with teachers before the budget repair bill was signed. Under the bill, most state employees will be required to pay 12.6 percent of their health insurance contributions; and half towards retirement.
"This makes me wonder what our district knows and theirs doesn't or what those districts know that ours doesn't that they were willing to sit down with their teachers and negotiate a contract," Thompson said. "I hope I am wrong by thinking some board members are relishing the position of power they are in with collective bargaining rights being abolished."
Monroe School District Superintendent Larry Brown and Monroe Business Manager Ron Olson missed most of the meeting since they were making a referendum presentation to the Lions Club. But in an interview, Brown later agreed with Thompson's characterization of the matter. The board also went into closed session for a negotiations meeting following the Monday's board meeting.
Brown said that - as a result of the bill's passage after weeks of uncertainty - there is now more information available for the negotiations committee to consider related to teacher contracts.
"We are taking it through the process," Brown said.
Walker's proposed budget cuts state aid to school districts by about $900 million, and reduces school districts revenue limits by 5.5 percent, which prevents schools from using property taxes to make up the difference. Thompson said many seasoned teaching veterans at Parkside School are worried about the future.
"With the looming budget crisis and collective bargaining rights stripped away they are afraid that in order for the school district to balance their budget teachers at the top of the salary scale will be fired," Thompson said.
Meanwhile, the district is seeking a $8 million non-recurring referendum on the April 5 ballot.
Depending on how the state aid reduction is assessed, Olson has estimated based on a $900 million state aid reduction that the district could have a reduction of a little more than $1.3 million to a little more than $1.7 million. The district has projected a deficit of $1.6 for 2011-12. Without a referendum, the district is projected to have deficits of about $2.3 million in the 2012-13 year; $3 million in 2013-14 school year; and $3.6 million in the 2014-15. The district is at the end of its four-year, non-recurring referendum, in which voters allowed the district to exceed state revenue caps by $8.3 million.
Thompson said teachers and support staff deserve a lot of credit for enduring drastic cutbacks that have impacted class size, included minimal wage increases that didn't keep up with inflation; and smaller school and classroom budgets.
The district has pledged to make $494,652 in cuts in the 2011-12 school year - regardless of whether a referendum is approved. With retirements, the district could cut as much as $557,090. Officials also approved cuts of 5 percent, or $24,500, to co-curricular activities at the high school.
"It's important to remember school district employees are taxpayers too," Thompson said. "We own homes, we pay property taxes. We don't want to pay any more in taxes than people writing barbs in the newspaper and signing their comments taxpayer."