WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. February 27, 2010: White Plains Public School Teachers have agreed to accept a 2-1/4% pay increase in 2012 in exchange for money-saving adjustments to pay.

The budget-friendly changes will pay teachers for pursuing advanced degrees at a slower (only one academically achieved increase a year may be approved), and a more tightly monitored pace for pursuing M.A. and Ph.D degrees.

The teachers have also accepted changes in working conditions, productivity adjustments,  and approval of retirement incentives that are available in the current budget year.

The White Plains Teachers Association membership approved the one year contract extension with the City School District through 2011-2012, two weeks ago, WPCNR has learned.  

Peter Bassano, a member of the Board of Education confirmed the contract extension to WPCNR Saturday afternoon. He said the District and Dr. Christopher Clouet had started negotiations with the teachers three months ago.

The contract extension has yet to be voted on by the Board of Education, Bassano said.

The 2-1/4% salary increase in February, 2012 increases up to 4% to 5% when longevity raises (automatic over the first fifteen years of service in the current 2010-11 step schedule for the majority of the current 651 teachers), are factored in. 

Here are the sketchy details of the suprise extension so far:

Pay

The new  contract extension finds the teachers agreeing to significant contract givebacks in 2011-12 and new teacher retirement incentives effective this current budget year in exchange for a 2-1/4% salary increase in the 2011-12 year, in addition to the 2-1/2% % increase agreed to last June and scheduled to go into effect February 2011.

Bassano said the 2-1/2% they receive  in 2012 actually is equivalent to 1-1/4% since it is only in effect for 5 months of the year. It should be noted though that the next year it constitutes a full 2-1/4%.

Readers should note the raise is supplemented by the standard salary raises guaranteed for each year of service that roughly gives the vast majority of full-time teachers up to salary increase total taking effect in February of 2012. This means that a 2-1/4% increase translates to an actual total salary increase over 4% for the vast majority of teachers entering 2012-2013, when a new contract will have to be negotiated.

Additional pay for Pursuing Advanced Degrees Slowed

Mr. Bassano said savings in the Teachers Earning Schedule in  2011-12 will also make adjustments to how soon teachers can earn more salary in making progress in advanced degrees. He said the district will also closely monitor the courses that are accepted for advance degree salary increases.

Retirement Incentives to lower Payroll.

 The financial details of the retirement incentives were not revealed by Mr. Bassano, but they will be offered to eligible teachers this year. The district, Bassano told WPCNR,  hopes this will induce approximately 40 higher paid full-time teachers accepting incentives to retire at the end of this school year.

Bassano said the incentives will only be available if a minimum of 30 teachers eligible to retire opt to take the district offer.

 Inducing the higher paid  teachers to retire could enable the School District to keep the 2010-11 School Budget at approximately the present $186 Million high water mark,

Asked if this meant  30 to 40 full-time experienced teachers eligible to retire would not be replaced, Bassano said that has yet to be determined. He said this weekend was the deadline for retirement declarations by the teachers.

Paying more of Their Share of Medical

The School District and the White Plains Teachers Association also agreed that teachers would pay “another full point” on their medical benefits. WPCNR was told by a reliable source the teachers’ share of paying for their medical benefits from 9 to 12%. WPCNR awaits confirmation.

The contribution that retirees pay for their medical benefits will also be raised in the new contract extension in 2011-12.

Work Schedule changes

Teachers also agree effective in the new budget year that they will teach 5 periods a day five days a week. This, Bassano said, enables the White Plains High School to go to an 8-period day and offer more personnel savings across the board. "Teachers will be working harder," Bassano said, and "Class sizes will increase."

District follows WPCNR Observations

WPCNR predicted previously that in order to stay at the $186 Million level the school district would have to trim some 50 full-time teachers or  remove 100 Teaching Assistants (who average $50,000 in salary and benefits) in order to keep the school budget for 2010-11 at the current level.

Should 40 teachers making an average of $100,000 a year or more take the district’s incentives, that would mean a salary savings of approximately $4 Million to $5 Million in salary. But it depends on how many teachers the district decides to replace after retirements are totaled up. This should become clearer March 8 when the District unveils its revenue budget and final Instructional Budget.

Clouet Began Negotiations in December.

Bassano said the Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Christopher Clouet approached teachers association to seek adjustments to the teachers’ contract about three months ago. WPCNR has contacted the President of the White Plains Teachers Association, Kerry Broderick, for specific details on the contract.