Teaching Profession

Teachers’ Union Sacrifices Raises to Help Strapped District

By Catherine Gewertz — March 03, 2004 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Principals, teachers, and other school employees in a small Ohio district have agreed to a pay freeze to help their financially struggling system stay afloat.

In the wake of two failed attempts in 2003 to raise money through property-tax levies, the union that represents teachers and support-staff workers in the Newbury Local school district decided last month to forgo a pay hike for the 2004-05 school year.

“We’re being realistic. There is simply no money,” said Joe Kuchta, a social studies teacher at Newbury High School and the president of the Newbury Education Association. The union represents 80 teachers, bus drivers, secretaries, and custodians in the 772-student district southeast of Cleveland.

The three-year union contract specifies a 4 percent pay raise for the 2002-03 and 2003-04 school years, and a raise for 2004-05 that was to be determined through negotiation by the end of this month, said Mr. Kuchta.

But the National Education Association affiliate decided not to seek that raise because the district faced a second round of budget cuts after the second of last year’s tax-levy proposals was defeated in November.

“We couldn’t in good faith go into negotiations with a 4 percent offer,” Mr. Kuchta said last week. “There isn’t even 1 percent.”

Downsizing

Newbury cut its $6 million operating budget for 2003-04 by about $600,000 after voters defeated the first levy proposal last May, said Stephanie Swain, the district’s interim treasurer. Three teaching positions that became vacant were not refilled, two were cut down to half time, and services in nursing, psychology, transportation, and maintenance were reduced.

After voters rejected the next proposed levy in November, the school board outlined another series of cuts for the 2004-05 school year, which would include giving up nine more teaching positions, cutting back more on transportation and supplies, and probably increasing class sizes.

Administrators at the district’s two schools have agreed to a pay freeze this year and next to ease the financial woes. Teachers joined them by giving up their planned pay hike for next year. A 4 percent raise for union members would have cost the district about $100,000, Mr. Kuchta said.

Last summer, the union’s members agreed to downgrade their prescription-drug benefits for 2003-04, saving the district $90,000. Members now pay more than twice what they used to for their prescriptions, he said.

“My hat’s off to the Newbury Education Association for understanding the needs of the district,” said Dick Wagner, the principal of Newbury High School. “We’re all in this together, and they’re doing their part.”

Because of the cutbacks, salary freezes, and benefit changes, the district anticipates staying in the black this school year and next. But without a long-term financial solution, its future viability is still in question, Ms. Swain said.

Ohio’s school funding system has been declared unconstitutional by the state’s highest court, in part because it depends heavily on local property taxes. The high court has directed the legislature to design a more equitable way of funneling money to schools. (“Ohio Court Rejects State School Aid System,” Jan. 8, 2003.)

Newbury residents were to vote this week on another levy, which would generate $800,000 a year for the school district, Ms. Swain said. Even if it is approved, however, the money would not be collected in time to stave off the cuts for 2004-05, she said, so the district would have to go ahead with the reductions or borrow money.

Related Tags:

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Inside PLCs: Proven Strategies from K-12 Leaders
Join an expert panel to explore strategies for building collaborative PLCs, overcoming common challenges, and using data effectively.
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Making Science Stick: The Engaging Power of Hands-On Learning
How can you make science class the highlight of your students’ day while
achieving learning outcomes? Find out in this session.
Content provided by LEGO Education
Teaching Profession Key Insights to Elevate and Inspire Today’s Teachers
Join this free half day virtual event to energize your teaching and cultivate a positive learning experience for students.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Teaching Profession How Can Schools Get More Men to Be Teachers? Look to Nursing for What Works
More men are becoming nurses—offering some lessons for K-12 education.
6 min read
Male teacher figures winding their way down a career path to the entrance of a school.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + iStock/Getty Images
Teaching Profession Three Tips to Help Mentors Work Better With Teachers
A great mentor can help novice teachers progress in their first year and prevent burnout. Here's how to boost their relationships.
3 min read
Illustration of a diverse group of 7 professionals helping one another climb a succession of large bars with some using a ladder.
iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession Opinion The One Quality That Every Great Teacher Shares
A lot has changed during my two decades as a teacher, but one thing is just as true as it was on my first day.
Eduardo Barreto
3 min read
A man carrying a big stone. Concept art of problem solution and hardness. surreal painting. conceptual artwork. 3d illustration
Jorm Sangsorn/iStock
Teaching Profession What the Research Says Want Novices to Keep Teaching? Focus on Their Classroom-Management Skills
Some skills matter more than others for educator at the start of their careers.
3 min read
A black female teacher cheerfully answers questions and provides assistance to her curious and diverse group of adolescent students as they work on an assignment in class.
E+/Getty