Story posted Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Details Slow To Develop On Potential Teacher Union Payments To Dist. 207
By DWIGHT ESAU Journal & Topics Reporter
It's complicated.
This is why the tentative offer by the Maine Teachers Association (MTA) to make cash payments to High School District 207 to help reduce a budget deficit is not moving forward very fast.
The union made the offer at the end of last year after a majority of members rejected the school district's request to reopen the current wage and benefits contract and negotiate pay cuts or a freeze on raises to save job cuts proposed by the district.
Since then, the district has proposed to lay off 75 certified teachers next school year as part of a $15 million cost reduction plan to deal with a double-digit budget deficit this year that officials say is about $19 million.
Before a cash payback project can move forward, a lot of research is needed to determine if it's legal and if so, exactly how it should be done to meet IRS, auditor, and legal standards.
The union reportedly has agreed to pay the cost of this research, according to District 207 Supt. Ken Wallace.
"We have talked to Emma Visee, union president, and we have agreed that we need to check out the legal and financial aspects of this before we move ahead with any specific planning," Wallace said this week. "We hope to complete the process as soon as possible."
Visee, union presidient, echoed Wallace's comments and added it would be at least several weeks before an payback program could get off the ground. The potential payback process is moving slower than the decision-making about the job cuts. Next Monday night, Feb. 1, the board of education is scheduled to vote on staff recommendations to cut 75 certified positions out of the 2010-11 district budget, for a planned savings of $5 million. The proposal includes all of the proposed certified position reductions, except about four tenured positions, the future of which will be determined on Mar. 1.
Even if a payback program were developed, it probably would not be implemented until spring.
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