Contract Negotiations Ongoing Between District and Teachers; Meeting Set for Next Week

It's the end of the school year for Chatham students, but the Association of Chatham Teachers and Secretaries (ACTS) and the School District of the Chathams' Board of Education are just starting to hit the books by attempting to negotiate a three-year teacher's contract in one of the worst economic climates in recent history.

The main source of contention, according to Superintendent Jim O'Neill, is that the BOE feels spending over 2.5 percent of the school budget on teacher salaries would threaten the school district's fiscal security.

The current contract expires today.

ACTS President Fran Brantley did not return a request for comment.

A looming mandatory 2.5 percent cap on property tax increases and escalating healthcare costs—healthcare now makes up 19.1 percent of the budget, up from 15 percent last year, according to O'Neill—are to blame, the superintendent said.

Ninety-nine percent of the school district's operating costs are paid through tax dollars. Restricting property taxes to 2.5 percent, O'Neill implied, would decimate the school district's income, making it difficult to appease teachers who expect yearly raises while keeping the cost of teacher salaries affordable (below 2.5 percent of the overall budget).

"It would be very difficult for us to be able to allocate money to other parts of the budget, such as technology, professional development, curriculum development—all the things critical to an excellent school district," O'Neill said.

The current contract, renewed in December, contained a 3.8 percent salary increase for teachers. O'Neill seemed skeptical that such an increase would hold in the future contract.

"When we agreed to 3.8 percent, we believed it would buy harmony for the year and would allow us to reach a three-year deal. Both sides are disappointed we didn't reach a three-year deal," O'Neill said. "We'll try it again on July 8 [when the two sides are scheduled to meet]. See if that makes any progress.

"This is reflective of the reality of what people creating budgets are living with," O'Neill concluded.