Schools

School Boards, Teacher Groups Oppose Christie Contract Review Proposal

Associations question part of the governor's property tax toolkit proposal.

Associations representing state teachers and school boards have expressed opposition to a proposal in Gov. Chris Christie's property tax toolkit to increase state oversight to contracts negotiated between school districts and local unions.

The proposal would set a four point criteria for county executive superintendents of schools to review local contracts, with the governor's goal to keep property taxes below the two percent cap Christie signed into law earlier this month.

The criteria, as outlined in a preliminary proposal to the New Jersey School Boards Association from the governor's office earlier this month, would include county executive superintendents reviewing all contracts that have the total compensation and benefits exceeding the cap, did not allow subcontracting of such services as food and maintenance, did not allow employee contributions to health benefits and did not set a minimum number of instructional hours and days.  The proposal was drafted when the cap was the two and a half percent constitutional amendment and not the two percent statutory cap, Christie negotiated with the legislature.

Michael Drewniak, Christie's press secretary, declined to comment on the specifics of the proposal, noting a final bill has not been presented to the legislature. He said the governor's office is in the process of developing a final proposal, which will be presented, to the legislature during this summer's special session on property taxes.

Spokesmen from the school boards association and the New Jersey Education Association said the groups are not inclined to support the proposal, noting many of the proposals are already being used by school districts statewide. Legislative leaders declined to comment on specifics of the proposal, noting the details have not been released by the governor's office.

Frank Belluscio, a spokesman for the school boards group, said the association believes their members are using many of the practices statewide and parts of the proposal need to adopted to allow for better management practices to be used in districts.

"We do believe strongly that local school districts have the responsibility to negotiate with their employees to meet local education goals," he said.

Belluscio said most school districts have set a minimum amount of instructional days and hours in teacher contracts as a standard practice, along with a growing number asking for an employee contribution to health care. He said the mandate on subcontracting, is something the school boards group is in favor of, to allow districts to allow for the management practice to be used.

Belluscio said the association wants to allow for the subcontracting to continue and resists calls from the NJEA to disallow subcontracting to provide for cost savings to districts and the redirecting of funds to instruction.

Belluscio said a study conducted by the school boards association show that most contracts settled since January have shown an average salary increase of 2.2-percent, down from an average of 4.4-percent last year.

The contract settled in March between the Westfield Board of Education and the Westfield Education Association calls for an average salary increase of 3.9-percent, along with increased employee givebacks to health care. The pact was negotiated before Christie signed the new state law calling for a one and a half percent employee contribution to health care into law.

The Westfield contract, which lasts for three years, became a point of contention during the April school election, with some voters showing opposition to the raise during town hall meetings with Schools Superintendent Margaret Dolan. The Westfield Education Association has resisted Christie's calls for a one-year salary freeze, noting the freeze would negatively impact teacher pensions.

The New Jersey Education Association, which has been locked in a war with Christie over education spending and teacher salaries, is opposing this proposal, with a spokesman saying that the entire toolkit is not based on "economic reality."

Steve Baker, an NJEA spokesman, said the governor's proposal would hinder teachers and other public employees with slower salary growth than private sector employees. He said this could cause teachers to leave teaching instead of staying in the profession.

Baker said an NJEA study on teacher salaries over the last 40 years, taking the two percent cap into account would show a $16,000 salary increase.

"It does not take much imagination what this will do to the quality of education in New Jersey," Baker said. "You will tear apart your public schools. This is part of the governor's crusade against public service employees."

The county executive superintendents are agents of the state education commissioner and not county employees. They are appointed to fixed terms by the governor and state Senate and were created in 2007 by former Gov. Jon Corzine as part of an effort to remake public education in New Jersey. They already have some supervisory powers over local contracts. The Christie proposal would give the superintendents more control and oversight over the local actions.

Assemblyman Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield), the number two Republican in the Assembly, said that he does not know the exact specifics of the bill but said he is in agreement with Christie on the goal of reducing property tax bills. Bramnick, a close Christie ally who was on the governor's shortlist for lieutenant governor during last year's campaign, said he could see the bill having more of an impact in certain school districts than others.

"In places like Westfield and Cranford that are efficient and doing a good job that is not where the problem exists," he said.

Derek Roseman, a spokesman for the Senate Democrats, said he couldn't comment at this time because a formal bill has not been sent to the legislature from the governor's office.

The opponents of the proposal continue to question whether this part of the toolkit should be proposed.

"Is this needed at this point in time?" Belluscio said.


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