South Colonie Central School District teachers and administrators have approved contract givebacks for the second year in a row, and they will save the district more than $300,000 in the 2013-14 school year.
The roughly 450 members of the South Colonie Teachers Association will take an unpaid day during the next school year, saving the district approximately $230,000. In addition, the Central Office and Building Level administrators approved of health insurance and compensation changes in their contract, adding another $102,000 savings for a total of $332,000.
District Superintendent Jonathan Buhner said he believes the teachers and administrators “deserve a lot of credit” for their actions.
“Two years in a row I think they’re to be commended for being willing to help us. We’ve worked hard at restricting the budget … it’s just been a real challenge,” Buhner said. “I think they’ve been very responsive and responsible trying to help us.”
Over the past five years, the district has lost $13.2 million in state aid and is in a tight spot due to the state’s tax cap, according to administrators. $485,000 of the state aid will be restored in the upcoming school year.
The givebacks will help maintain programming.
“I think (the teachers) realize that it’s a good school community. We really care about kids,” Buhner said. “We want our students to have what they need to be successful.”
John Ryan, President of the SCTA, said last year there was a “75 percent pay freeze to help close a $4 million budget gap.” The pay freeze saved the district about $1.7 million.
“It was a hard decision to do two years in concession … to help preserve programming, keep teachers working with kids, help close this gap. That’s really what it’s about. I feel that on the local level the district is really doing a great job,” Ryan said. “We’re just trying to do our part to make sure programs stay in place.”
Ryan said the decision to take an unpaid day was hard for some.
“It’s never easy to do, but you look at the way things are and help out as best as you can. We all hoped this year it would’ve been better, but the budget gap ended up being worse,” Ryan said.
Terri Dutcher has been the chief negotiator for the SCTA for the past 20 years and said the union is willing to sacrifice pay “to save the programs that are so beneficial.” She said more than 50 teaching positions have been cut in the last five years and educators are noticing how it has “adversely impacted our students” through larger class sizes and fewer course offerings.
“It hasn’t really been a question of if we will do something to help, but how we can. We continue to advocate for funding and speak to politicians, but the concessions we have made for the last two years are concrete efforts that have clear results,” Dutcher said.
One department that has been nervous about cuts this year is music. Music Department Chairman Peter Cannistraci said the department will be losing two teachers due to reductions in the budget.
“Although I’m thankful that our program is being maintained, I worry if the remaining teachers will be able to provide the same service to an increased number of students. I feel like we’re already spread so thin,” he said.
Cannistraci said he was on board with the contract concessions because he wants to see the district’s students have the best opportunities possible.
“I think it’s so important for the community to realize how concerned the South Colonie teachers are about the quality of the education that our students are receiving. … With the reductions in state funding and increase in mandates, our district simply can’t keep up,” Cannistraci said.