Nazareth Area School District pursues concessions with staff unions

FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES

Nazareth Area School District support staffers have tentatively agreed to give back a portion of their raises next year, although negotiations over concessions with teachers have stalled.

Nazareth Area School District Superintendent Victor Lesky confirmed the deal was brokered last night with the support staffers, but said a support association representative would not release details about that agreement until a “memorandum of understanding” between the union and district is signed.


A school official said negotiations with teachers started in April. Administrators asked for a wage freeze to help prevent layoffs. District teachers union President Aris Asdourian said teachers agreed to concessions that would have saved $1 million over four to five years, but administrators rejected their plan.

"The teachers were on the ball, we stepped right up to the plate," Asdourian said. "Our model showed them saving money, from my understanding."

Lesky would not comment on negotiations with teachers except to say the teachers' proposal required a two-year extension of the four-year labor deal which is set to start Sept. 1. He said he recommended that the Nazareth Area School Board reject the deal.

A school official said in addition to a contract extension, the teachers asked that concessions made for next year be put back into later years of the contract, which would save money next year but not over time. That official disputed Asdourian's $1 million savings estimate.

"We would like to continue the discussions with the teacher's union and are hopeful a productive alternative can be reached that is in the best interest of the teachers, the teacher's union and the school district itself," board president Lorin Bradley said.

The school board last month finalized its $67 million 2011-12 budget, which called for eliminating more than a dozen district jobs and the driver’s education program.


On the chopping block are two special education teachers, two high school technology specialists, two high school driver's education teachers and a middle school family consumer science teacher.


Two custodians would also be eliminated through attrition, as would one full-time custodian and four full-time high school security positions.

The district's copy center would be eliminated, slashing an additional two positions. Copy machines will be moved back into the schools, officials have said.


Lesky said one of the driver's education teachers could be restored by the school board before the end of June. The district would charge each student $250 to self-fund six hours of driving instruction, which he said would pay for the teacher's salary, vehicle maintenance and gas. That proposal has since been tabled by the board.

The school board has until June 30 to reinstate any of the cuts and is working with the unions to gain concession agreements. The budget still includes a $453,000 deficit, in which Lesky said he plans to fill with reserve funds.

About 22 district administrators have offered to decrease their annual raises from 3.75 percent to 1.7 percent. Lesky has said administrators have offered to go to a zero percent increase if the teachers and staff also agree to a zero increase.


Lesky has not received a raise this year and does not expect to receive an increase next year.

Maurice Heller was the lone school board member striking down the budget during last month’s meeting, saying he thought teachers needed to “step up to the plate” and offer concessions.


Lesky, during that meeting, had put other cost-savings solutions on the table, including requesting sports booster clubs to pay an increase in costs and possibly seek advertising in the high school’s stadium.

Another idea, Lesky said, is setting up a foundation to accept “beyond-the-grave” monetary gifts. This would allow a resident to name the Nazareth Area School District in their wills, he said.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/nazareth/index.ssf/2011/06/nazareth_area_school_district_17.html