Collective Bargaining Updates
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OVERVIEW
In December 2023, the METHUEN SCHOOL COMMITTEE began collective bargaining with the METHUEN EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION (MEA) for both Unit A and Unit C:
- Unit A: all teachers, including all special subject curriculum resource teachers, instructional coaches, teachers, therapists, guidance counselors, school adjustment counselors, school psychologists, media specialists, instructional technology specialists, and permanent substitutes
- Unit C: program assistants
The Methuen School Committee presented proposals to recognize, reward, attract and retain educators while remaining within the approved FY25 school operating budget.
SCHOOL BUDGET INFORMATION
STATE CHAPTER 70 FUNDING + CITY CONTRIBUTION = SCHOOL OPERATING BUDGET
Then Methuen Public School's operating school budget is created using state Chapter 70 allocations. The Chapter 70 program is the major state aid program for public elementary and secondary schools. In addition to providing state aid to support school operations, it also establishes minimum spending requirements for each school district and minimum requirements for each municipality's share of school costs. The Methuen Public Schools operating budget exceeds the required net school spending, and the city has exceeded their required contribution for at least the past decade.
The Student Opportunity Act (SOA) of 2019 reconfigured the Chapter 70 funding formula to increase allocations to districts, like Methuen, with larger underserved student populations. The regulations state that districts will receive funding for full implementation of SOA between 2019-2027. As a result of the SOA, for FY22, FY23, and FY24, Methuen Public Schools received increased Chapter 70 allocations. With this funding, the district was able to adopt high-quality instructional materials/programs district-wide and add teaching and support positions to decrease class sizes, particularly in the areas of English learner education, special education, and counseling, thus rectifying unresolved staffing needs.
When preparing the FY25 budget, MPS was poised to continue increasing and improving staffing and structures to better serve MPS students. However, an unexpected adjustment in the Chapter 70 formula caused the district, and others across the state, to receive 50% less than the expected increase in state funding; whereas in previous years, the funding formula had been factored with an inflation rate of 4.5%, the inflation rate for FY25 was set at 1.35%. Although MPS did receive additional funding for FY25, the increase was absorbed by increases to out-of-district tuitions for special education students, utility costs, and salaries for existing MPS positions.
Without the expected increase in SOA funding, the school department was challenged to put forth a budget that aligned with the appropriation approved by the Mayor and City Council. Prioritizing low class sizes, student-facing positions and services, and academic and social-emotional supports, MPS eliminated 41 positions (both new requests and unfilled positions) from the initial FY25 budget proposal to arrive at the final proposal.
On the table below, you can see that through the partnership between the city and the schools, the entire increase of Chapter 70 funds allocated to Methuen for education has been dedicated to the Methuen Public Schools operating budget each year. In addition, the city has contributed additional funds above net school spending to the overall operating budget.
FY20 |
FY21 |
FY22 |
FY23 |
FY24 |
FY25 |
|
Total School Budget |
$96,793,552 |
$98,128,221 |
$101,608,612 |
$109,641,046 |
$119,774,096 |
$124,874,096 |
CH 70 |
$47,567,622 |
$48,444,163 |
$48,647,173 |
$56,601,025 |
$64,681,414 |
$68,566,323 |
CH 70 Increase Over Prior Year |
$2,862,897 |
$876,541 |
$203,010 |
$7,953,852 |
$8,080,389 |
$3,884,909 |
City Contribution |
$49,225,930 |
$49,684,058 |
$52,961,439 |
$53,040,021 |
$55,092,682 |
$56,307,773 |
City Contribution Over Prior Year |
$697,145 |
$458,128 |
$3,277,381 |
$78,582 |
$2,052,661 |
$1,215,091 |
UNIT A (TEACHERS)
Since December 2023, the district and the MEA Unit A bargaining teams have met TWELVE times.
As a result, by May 21, 2024, both parties arrived at TWENTY-FOUR Tentative Agreements.
TEACHER WORK YEAR AND EXPLANATION OF SALARY GRID
IMPORTANT UPDATE: LETTER FROM THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE (12/9/24)
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S NEW Wage PROPOSAL (12/9/24)
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MEA's NEW WAGE PROPOSAL (12/9/24)
UNIT C (PROGRAM ASSISTANTS)
The Methuen School Committee (MSC) recognizes that the current program assistant wage scale is inadequate and needs to be adjusted. The School Committee values that work of program assistants and acknowledges the need to increase salaries while staying within budget.
In the April 24 wage proposal (linked below), the Methuen School Committee initially proposed three separate wage scales representing the varying program assistant duties and responsibilities. In this proposal, the school committee also included several lanes to recognize professional growth through special certifications and degrees.
Since December 2023, the district and the MEA Unit A bargaining teams have met TWELVE times.
As a result, both parties arrived at SIXTEEN Tentative Agreements.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S NEW WAGE PROPOSAL (12/16/24)
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MEA'S NEW WAGE PROPOSAL (12/16/24)
PROGRAM ASSISTANT WORK YEAR AND EXPLANATION OF SALARY GRID
PROGRAM ASSISTANT OPEN WAGE PROPOSALS
On October 29, the School Committee presented an off-the-record proposal for a one-year contract for SY24-25, with the understanding that negotiations for a new three-year wage agreement would begin in January 2025, after the release of the Governor’s budget. This would allow the SC and Unit C to lock in wages for SY24-25. This one-year wage proposal included our current staff receiving an increase of $5,425- $6,722 in SY24-25, to be paid retroactively.
The Unit C negotiating team REJECTED the proposal to continue negotiating a three-year contract.
In response, the School Committee offered that the proposed one-year contract serve as the first year of the contract (SY24-25), with COLA increases of 2% in SY25-26 and 2% in SY 26-27.
IMPACT: The Methuen School Committee and the Methuen Education Association have both submitted three-year proposals. In year one alone, the MEA's proposal is $2,763,439.40 more costly than the Methuen School Committee's proposal.
Methuen School Committee proposal: $1,289,393.00
Methuen Education Association proposal: $4,052,832.40