Approved minutes

MONADNOCK REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

Board Meeting Minutes

                                            January 9, 2007

                    Monadnock Regional Middle/High School Library, Swanzey, NH.

                      

Present: Colline Dreyfuss, Jonathan Kenyon, Gene White, Karen Cota, Susan Oerman, Phyllis Peterson, Gerald Mazza, Tim Aho and James Carnie. Absent: Charles Johnson, William Felton, Tim Peloquin, Kenneth Colby and Jason Hill.

Budget Members Present: R. Smith, E. Stanley, J. Fortson, R. Bauries, N. Moriarty, J. Ells, T. Parker, J. Tommila, D. Arguin, S. Russell and N. Dion.

Also present: K. Dassau, Superintendent, Attorney Paul Apple and K. Chambers, Business Manager.  Principals: B. Tatro, K. Craig and S. Rashid.

 

Presentation to the Budget Committee of the proposed MRSD Board and Support Staff agreement 2007-2009: P. Apple explained that he was representing the Board during the negotiations for the support staff agreement. He reviewed the information passed out to the Budget Committee and the Board on the cost increases and the language for the agreement. He explained it is a 4.4% increase and that the staff would be contributing 2% more than the 10% they pay now for their health insurance. The second year is a 6% increase and the support staff would be paying 3% more on their health insurance contribution, which would make it 15%. The negotiating team felt that they made good progress with the health insurance. J. Fortson asked for the wage increase. P. Apple explained that he was not prepared tonight. K. Chambers explained that it was about a 7.7%-8% increase. R. Bauries asked the amount the employee would pay extra each week for the health contribution. P. Apple explained that it would vary from the employees. He explained that the Blue Choice 2 Tier is the driver. He pointed out that the article shows a reduction in the health care. T. Aho passed out a handout that was prepared by the Sullivan Selectmen and himself. C. Dreyfuss asked where T. Aho got the figures. T. Aho said they came from K. Chambers. He said that the selectmen are saying that there was not enough health care sharing. His opinion is that there would have been a positive pass if they had gone with the Matthew Thornton driver. N. Moriarty asked about paying the employees for early release days. K. Dassau explained that they consist of snow days, bomb scare and such. He explained that there are not many of those days. T. Parker calculated and in his opinion the increase for the first year is 9.7% and the second year is 9.6%. R. Bauries asked how many people would be affected on the early dismissal days. R. Bauries said that he would use 170 staff members as a figure. E. Stanley asked how you could negotiate a contract and not know the wage increase. P. Apple explained that the team had 2 strategies, the Board’s net effect and to increase the employee contribution. He explained that you would save with the employee contribution. We focused on the bottom line effect. The percentage was less important. We wanted to keep the bottom line. N. Dion asked about the early dismissal. P. Apple explained that he was not sure what employees stay with early dismissal. The secretaries and the aids would largely be impacted. J. Fortson questioned the 12% contribution being told to the public. P. Apple explained that the 90% are on the driver. He explained that the system is a driver and that the public will see a savings. J. Kenyon commented that it is easy to sit back after the fact. K. Chambers explained that she would bring the percentage of the actual increase for the wages to Thursday’s meeting. N. Moriarty asked if there was a cost associated with the increase of the maximum monthly short term disability insurance benefit increase from $600.00 to $800.00. K. Chambers explained that the amount is reflected on the warrant, which needs to be corrected. The amount in Other Contract Benefits should be $11,006.00. That is where the increase would be. J. Fortson asked where the increase was for the staff development. P. Apple explained that the total amount has not changed. The total pool is the same. K. Chambers explained that she looked at the history and the total amount has never been used or even 50% of the amount have not been used. N. Moriarty asked if the warrant shows every dollar to the taxpayers. K. Chambers explained that there is no early retirement for the support staff. She said that the cost items for the contract are here and outlined in the summary. J. Fortson asked if the contract does not pass do the step increases continue. P. Apple explained that is a function of law. There is no evergreen clause. He said that there is a case in court that would have a decision next week. T. Aho read Article 15 of the contract to the Board.

 

K. Chambers presented a modified and an old format for Article Three for the Board to decide on. She explained that the DRA is comfortable with the Modified Format but it is the discretion of the Board. MOTION: S. Oerman MOVED to accept the Modified Format for Article Three. SECOND: P. Peterson. DISCUSSION: T. Aho commented that he would not like to change the format because of the teacher’s contracts. The Board reviewed the warrant and made the changes for the 2007-2008 contract, which are in bold. Blue Choice Driver would be added to the Health insurance line. Retirement benefits would be added to the Other Contract Benefits line. Instead of the $1,006.00 amount for the Other Contract Benefits it would now read $11,006.00. The new total would read $317,430.00. In the second year of the proposed contract the following in bold are the corrections: Blue Choice Driver would be added to the Health insurance line, the Other Contract Benefits Line would be deleted and the raised and appropriated amount would change to $317,430.00. K. Chambers explained that she would contact the DRA for their approval on the Modified Article. VOTE: 8.995/0/0/6.005. Motion passes.

 

K. Chambers asked if the Board would like the Article, which allows the Board to call a special meeting in the event that the Support Staff Agreement does not pass. N. Moriarty commented that the voters do not like a second bite of the apple. MOTION: J. Carnie MOVED to remove Article Four from the ballot. SECOND: P. Peterson. DISCUSSION: P. Apple commented that a second bite of the apple may be a benefit to consider. It would be better for the Board and the Union concerning the steps. K. Cota asked if the agreement does not pass would the next vote be the following March on a contract. The answer was yes. VOTE: 7.569/1.179/0.247/6.005. Motion passes.

 

2. Legal Opinion-Early Retirement (Teacher Contract Article 13.2)-P. Apple explained that the request for a legal opinion came to P. Apple from The Superintendent who was asked by N. Moriarty. P. Apple explained that his legal opinion is that the early retirement was properly warned at inception. He believed that it was properly warned by the following events: He looked at the contracts back to 1996 and found that in the 2000-2001 agreement the early retirement was added. He said that the article increased in the amount of $198,000.00, which would lead him to believe that the early retirement benefit was likely, included. DRA approving the article would lead him to believe that it was correct. He said that there was discussion at the Deliberative Session on retirement and the agreement is available to the public to view. He said that the evidence is confusing and he believes that reasonable people could conclude that it was not properly notified. In the following year the contract was voted down that is when the Union filed an unfair labor practice. He said that the early retirement was warned again in 2003. It is not as clear as it should be but the long and short it was properly warned. N. Moriarty commented that DRA would not know one way or another. P. Apple said that the article conformed to the warrant and that you are correct. J. Carnie commented that the first contract expired. P. Apple explained that early retirement is mentioned from 1996-2001 contracts. P. Apple explained that you only need to warn of the increase. J. Carnie explained that the contract expired. The Union pressed the issue and then filed an unfair labor practice. P. Apple does not believe that it has to be re-warned. It is out of the article and in the budget. J. Fortson commented that a lot of things are in the budget. R. Bauries commented that he could not believe that something that would cost the district does not have to be warned. He read the minutes and looked at the tapes and can not find anything that warned the public. P. Apple said that the benefit has to be warned, it exists and will cost. The Deliberative Session discussion for 2000 Collective Bargaining could be read in Article Three with an increase of x number of dollars. The DRA does not require a level of detail on the warrant. R. Bauries commented that he does not buy P. Apple’s analogy of his decision. R. Bauries said that he was disappointed in P. Apple. S. Russell commented that the intent of the early retirement was to have the high paid teachers leave and then have the newer cost saving teachers come in. There are benefits to this. R. Bauries said in industry there is usually a one-year buy out. P. Apple explained that the evidence could be clearer. T. Aho commented that it would break even if you didn’t hire over Step 3. J. Carnie said that he would prefer the conclusion prior to the meeting and in writing. He has a problem with the dates and timing. He said that the teachers never pushed the issue from 2001-2002. The contract expired that is why they filed an unfair labor practice. N. Moriarty would like the opinion in writing for Thursday and the actual contract dated March 30. Every contract is out at the end. P. Apple explained that the law requires new benefits. No reason to re-warn. N. Moriarty said that only retirement ends. K. Dassau said that the motion came from the Budget Committee. The Board did not ask for this. T. Parker asked about early retirement. What the Budget Committee does with the money is what happens at the Thursday Meeting. D. Arguin commented that the Budget Committee asked for a legal opinion, just because you don’t like it we should not have additional lawyer’s fees. J. Carnie said that it would be beneficial to get the legal opinion in writing.

 

3. Public Comments: A. Garrapy commented that both sides worked long, hard and honestly on the agreement. This is for the children she said they need to be educated.

 

S. Rashid commented that there is such a spectrum of students that have problems. We need to take care of our aides. He really wants the support staff to go back to work with contracts.

 

N. Moriarty commented on the students being bumped to the next grade.

 

J. Leclerc commented that it is hard to hear from the audience. She commented that the needs are huge at the schools, the aides are spread thin and she would hope that the committee would support the agreement.

 

K. Dassau explained that the Board ratified the contract and the Support Staff and the Board has agreed.

 

L. Fisk suggested that the committee take the average salary not the percentage. She commented that early dismissal does not mean everyone leaves.

 

B. Tatro would echo S. Rashid’s comments.  The support staff is the glue that keeps the school together.

 

P. Marrinock explained that medicaid is billed and received as a revenue.

 

The President of the Support Staff commented that the agreement on the early dismissal was agreed on both sides.

 

C. Dreyfuss read the positions that are open for the upcoming election.

 

K. Chambers informed the Board that she had received 3 petitioned articles and has copies.

 

MOTION: J. Carnie MOVED to adjourn at 8:45 PM. SECOND: S. Oerman. VOTE: Unanimous for those present.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Laura L. Aivaliotis

MRSD Recording Secretary

 

 

 

 

 

 

          

 

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.