Watertown Teachers Contract Approval Delayed

Dozens of teachers frustrated by a lack of a contract spilled out of the Town Council Chambers and into the hallway Monday night when they came out to let the School Committee how they felt.

Waiting for an agreement to be achieved has been frustrating, said Jill Zeikel, a math teacher at Watertown High School.

“It seems like months of hard work is being pushed aside,” Zeikel said.

Hugh McLaughlin, who runs the WHS math lab center, said a contract is needed soon to end a situation “that distracts from teachers energy and morale,” he told the School Committee.

The signing of a teachers contract has been delayed because of the tough financial situation facing Watertown school officials, said School Committee Chairman Anthony Paolillo. Balancing the budget could include significant job losses, he said.

“There are many possible scenarios depending upon the revenues that we ultimately receive from the town and state, but at this time the possibility of significant program reductions and the loss of 15 to 35 staff positions are very real,” Paolillo said. “It’s because of the potential educational impact of these budget scenarios, and current fiscal uncertainty, that the School Committee has deferred a vote on the Memorandum of Agreement with the teacher’s union.”

The bad economy has hurt Watertown’s finances, and in addition the district faces the loss of federal aid that has helped ease the impact of the Recession over the last couple years.

“In this year and the previous year, the federal government significantly helped the Watertown Public Schools with stimulus money that allowed this district to avoid reductions,” Paolillo said. “However, in the next fiscal year, which begins July, 1, 2011, the stimulus money will be gone. This leaves a significant financial hole we must dig out of.”

The teachers are not losing money due to the delay in completing a new contract, Paolillo said, because the first year in the memorandum of agreement calls for a zero percent pay raise in the first year – this year. In the second year, the teachers would receive a 1.5 percent increase and in the third year, a 2.5 percent hike, he added.

This year the schools are run on a budget of $38.4 million. Watertown schools face some significant increases next year, Paolillo said:

• $504,000 for contractual salary adjustments required by the current contract.
• $287,000 for proposed increases in the Memorandum of Agreement.
• $100,000 for increases to other district employees if they also receive the 1.5 percent raise as proposed for the teachers.        
• $425,000 to pay for mandatory services for special education students.

In addition the district will be losing revenue from a few sources:

• $440,000 from the largest federal stimulus grant
• $20,000 from funding under the Education Jobs Grant
• $50,000 from anticipated declines in other federal grants      

“In total, these anticipated new costs to the district – from contractual and service needs as well as loss of grant funding – equals $1,826,000,” Paolillo said. “This increase is significantly larger than in past years.”

The School Committee will begin discussions on next year’s budget on Monday, March 14 at 7 p.m. in the school department offices, in the Phillips Building, 30 Common Street.

The final vote on the budget is expected to be made at the April 4 School Committee meeting.