Pearl River Teaching Assistants Agree to Re-Negotiate Contract

The Pearl River Board of Education voted Tuesday on the latest in a series of salary givebacks by unions in the district -- this one by the district's teaching assistants.

The board already approved re-negotiations with the teachers, administrators and clerical units its meeting March 29.

The district's 41 teaching assistants agreed to reduce their salary increase for the 2011-12 school year from 3.3% to 1.5%. They also extended their contract for two more years, with increases of 1.4% in 2012-13 and 2013-14.

“I believe it says a lot when the people who work on the front lines take action to protect the services we provide to our students,” says Dr. Frank Auriemma, Pearl River's superintendent of schools.

The salary give-backs are one reason Pearl River's proposed budget for 2011-12 contains relatively few cuts in personnel. The projected savings for 2011-12 from the re-negotiation with the teaching assistants is $14,928.

“It is well known that Pearl River Schools have focused intently on building opportunities for students over the past two decades,” said Dr. John Morgano, Pearl River's assistant superintendent. “Like our clerical staff, having our teaching assistants do what they can to protect that growth means just as much, if not more, than the dollars saved,”

The board also held a first reading of 16 new policies, copies of which were handed out to the public at Tuesday's meeting. The second and final reading of these new policies will be held at the next meeting, which will be 7:30 p.m. Thursday April 28.