Board delays action on planned salary increases for schools' non-union employees

Plans to boost the wages of the school district's non-union employees were sidetracked last evening when the school board decided to table its budget committee's recommendation that a four percent increase be awarded.

"I don't feel comfortable voting on something I haven't had time to look over," board member Scott Vachon told his colleagues, unhappy that the proposal had not been circulated among all of the board members before being brought forward for consideration. "And it doesn't give the public any time for input."

Though some of Vachon's concerns were alleviated upon learning from Budget Committee Chair Bob Dassatti that the proposed salary increases had been included in the budget recently approved by City Council, the first-term board member recommended that the board delay taking any action until its next meeting.

Superintendent Bob Champlin, however, pointed out that the board had planned last night's meeting to be its only one during the month of June, which would have pushed back action on the proposal until July. "It would mean that we couldn't send out contracts to those employees," Champlin informed the board, noting that the new fiscal year begins on July 1 and the next meeting of the board isn't scheduled until July 6.

Indicating that he didn't want to create problems in offering contracts to employees, Vachon suggested that the board meet briefly later this month — an idea endorsed by board chair Marge Kerns. After discussion, the board decided to meet immediately following the June 15 Middle School graduation in the facility's library.

The proposed increases would affect 32 of the district's employees according to a list provided by the district's business administrator Ed Emond. Among them are facilities managers at each of the five schools, English as a Second Language tutors, technical assistants and the directors of Project Extra and the Teen Center, as well as the administrative support staff at the SAU.

A number of the positions are reimbursed through grants and federal funds, including the Project Extra and Teen Center Directors. Not included on the list or in the proposal presented to the board last evening were the pay raises that have been negotiated for school administrators.