District Requests Furlough Days For Hamden Public Schools Staff

HAMDEN, CT — In the wake of “unanticipated and significantly increased” special education costs, the Hamden school district is requesting that all full-time and non-union staff take two furlough days to address a budget deficit for the current school year. Superintendent of Schools Jody Goeler announced Tuesday that four unions have already voted on the district’s request with the Administrators, Custodial and Nursing unions supporting the furlough days and the Paraprofessional/Clerk union rejecting it.

The Teachers, Supervisors, and Security Unions will be voting on the furlough in the coming days, according to Goeler, who noted that all full-time non-union employees will take the two furlough days.

“When combined with non-personnel related budget cuts and not filling currently vacant positions, the two furlough days create cost avoidances that fully address the current deficit,” Goeler said in a statement. “Without the furlough days, the district will be required to lay-off a number of employees mid-year to make up for the budget deficit. For the record, the district wants to avoid employee lay-offs, preferring to work collaboratively with all unions to actualize the $600,000 cost avoidance that would result from the two furlough days."

Goeler said that union leaders were “informed that bargaining units voting in favor of the furlough days would be guaranteed that none of their members would be laid off this fiscal year.”

“Unfortunately, we could not make such a guarantee to any bargaining unit that did not vote to accept the two furlough days,” Goeler said. “Most importantly, the two furlough days would allow Hamden to address the district’s budget deficit in a way that minimally impacts the students in our district. We are hopeful that the remaining unions will continue to put the needs of our students above all else by voting in favor of the two furlough days.”

Also in the statement, Goeler said that special education services and associated costs are “extremely difficult to fully anticipate (new students enter the district and the needs of students may require costly services and out-of-district placements, etc.). ‘Excess Cost’ funds provided to Hamden by the State of Connecticut are not sufficient to offset our unanticipated special education expenses.”

Image via Shutterstock