Teacher Salary Freeze Could Offset 20 Layoffs

Board of Education officials announced Wednesday morning, in response to a parent's question, that a salary freeze for teachers could offset 20 layoffs in the school district.

BOE Business Administrator Bob Berman made the announcement during Wednesday morning's budget presentation to parents. A parent had asked Berman and Schools Superintendent Margaret Dolan about the impact a salary freeze by teachers would have on the 31 proposed layoffs in the district. The layoffs, which will also be offset by attrition, were announced following Gov. Chris Christie's decision to slash state education to Westfield by $4.22 million.

"It would be a savings of about 20 teachers," Berman said.

Berman said the figure was arrived at based on the total savings of a freeze and the average teacher salary in the district. Under the terms of a new contract, ratified on March 9, teachers are scheduled to receive up to a 3.9-percent raise next year and each year of the three year contract. The contract also includes higher health care contributions for teachers.

Christie has called on teachers statewide to accept a pay freeze, suggesting that he would free up more state aid for districts where a salary freeze was agreed to. Westfield Education Association President Kim Schumacher rejected the idea of a pay freeze at the March 30 meeting of the Board of Education, saying that the idea was off the table following a new state law, championed by Christie, which requires a 1.5-percent contribution to health care costs by all public employees. This is on top of the health care contributions the WEA has in place in the new contract.

Schumacher and her colleagues have been having regular meetings with Dolan and BOE members to discuss the new budget and state aid cuts. Dolan has indicated there are no announcements to be made on any changes to the contract.