Residents Pleased, Wary About Contract Concessions and Budget

Many came with speeches and points prepared, ready to tell the Board of Education why they would not support privatizing the district’s bus drivers, maintenance, custodial and aide services.

But most of the residents—some parents, others district employees, and others who were residents, district employees and parents—expressed relief that the contract concessions would allow the district to avoid the privatization if the school budget passes.

When initially proposed, the budget suggested privatizing about 64 custodians, 27 maintenance workers, 64 lunch aides, 98 instructional aides, eight bus drivers and three bus aides.  The healthcare concessions in the Hillsborough Education Association and Board of Education’s tentative contract would prevent the district from privatizing positions as long as voters accept the budget.

Coming in at $110,679,700, the budget, which the board will vote to place on the election ballot tonight, includes $78,212,946 in revenue from local taxes.  The amount is a $1,536,889 increase—about 2 percent, which is the state-set limit on levy increases— over last year’s levy, which came in at $76,676,057.

The HEA agreed to about $2 million in healthcare cost concessions that included switching from a private insurance plan to the state’s plan, paying for 12 percent of health care premiums during the 2011-12 school year, while receiving an average 1.5 salary increase. In the 2012-2013 school year, HEA members would contribute to 18 percent of health care premium costs while receiving a 2 percent average salary increase.

For several residents, considering some of the staff as non-teaching is nearly impossible, particularly in the case of the district’s instructional aides.  Others noted the inclusion of many staff members, such as bus drivers and custodians, as members of the school community.

 “I have never though of them (the aides) as non-teaching staff,” Kelly Neuberger, of Cresmont Drive, said.  “We have invested in them, we have trained them.  We’re not going to have that commitment or that experience with a private staff.”

“I know there is one classroom in Woods Road (Elementary School) that has one teacher to 12 children,” Dawn Leboeuf, of Auten Road, said.  “That’s crowd control without the aides.”

Many of the aides have training specific to the area they cover, in addition to many having bachelor’s degrees and almost all of the aides having 60 college credits, district aides Maria DeLucia and Joan Murphy noted.  Aides living in town also volunteers with various local organizations, including sports teams, music organizations and others.

“I don’t believe you would ever receive this commitment from employees with no connection to the community,” DeLucia said.

For others at the meeting, the success of the concessions hinge on the budget passing—and led to questions about the district’s path should voters reject it.

“What happens if the budget fails?  What if the budget does not pass? We need your word that privatization will not be permitted,” Debra Myers, of Wescott Road, said.  “It is by no means an acceptable option here in the district of Hillsborough.  I want you and the administrators of our district to safeguard against any and all future reference to such an unacceptable concept.”

The budget will go to the Township Committee if it is voted down and the committee will decide whether to maintain it as placed on the ballot or reduce it.  If reduced, the committee will suggest areas to cut, though the district is only bound by the reduction amount.

But whether voters accept or reject the budget, the importance is that they vote, according to the district superintendent.

“Four out of five voters do not vote in school elections,” Superintendent Jorden Schiff said. “Whether you vote yes or no, you should participate in the process.”