nothin Alders OK School Administrators Contract | New Haven Independent

Alders OK School Administrators Contract

Markeshia Ricks Photo

COO Clark: Pact saves money, keeps district competitive.

School administrators and the Board of Education have struck a deal that will provide modest salary increase for administrators while saving the city money on medical benefits.

The Board of Alders didn’t have to vote in favor of the deal; the law requires the body only to vote to reject it or else just let it stand without a vote. The alders Monday night voted anyway, unanimously, to approve the contract,

The contract maintains administrators’ existing salary scale for the first year of the three-year contract. In the second and third years of the contract, administrators will receive a general wage increase of 2 percent to their scale, a move that city schools Chief Operating Officer Will Clark said helps the district stay competitive when it comes to the retention of its administrators.

We are competitivem and we feel competitive with the wage rates of the surrounding towns,” he said. We’re right there with the bulk of our positions. The risk is that if other groups are getting 2.5 percent or 3 percent and we drift behind — if we do that over two or three years, then we’re further behind.”

Clark said competition for good principals and central office administrators is fierce because there is a shortage particularly in urban education environments like New Haven.

Urban education is a calling more than a job,” he said. We want to be able to get the best and compete for the best. We believe that we have a great group of administrators and we went to respect and keep them.”

The salary cost impact for years two and three is estimated to be between $300,000 and $400,000 a year, which will have to be budgeted for in those years. Teacher Incentive Fund and Professional Educators Program grants, and others will cover any carry over in the first year. Salary increases ultimately could cost the city around $795,000 over the three-year contract, according to a memo Clark provided the alders.

In addition to remaining competitive, Clark said, the contract’s maintenance of the status quo on medical benefits will help the city keep costs under control. School administrators agreed to stick with a benefit package from Anthem that has a high deductible plan as its base plan, where they pick up about 38 percent of the costs of the plan.

The two also agreed to some small changes to the plan to align it with plans for for firefighters, teachers and cops, which allows for ease of administration. The BOE also was able to negotiate an adjustment in retiree benefits allowing to city to save about 25 percent of costs for future Medicare eligible retirees. The city will save or avoid an estimated $820,000 a year in medical benefit costs when compared with other traditional plans and costs models, Clark said.

Medical is really important to us because the cost of medical is a big hit on the city budget,” he said.

Clark said that wellness components of the deal — stressed by Mayor Toni Harp to all unions — will encourage more proactive use of medical benefits and less emergency use, as well as a healthier wor force. Administrators also agreed in the new contract to keep all language regarding school reform and the collaborative elements that go with it.

Really maintaining the salary schedule we think works,” Clark said. Keeping it competitive, focusing on the medical benefits and maintaining the plan design and the cost sharing elements of the plan were critical, and the reform language in their contract reinforces the willingness to work together, which is the cornerstone of this.

In the end, it’s not cataclysmic,” he added. In many respects it maintains the status quo, but the adjustments and the maintenance of some of the previous adjustments particularly on medical are critical elements.”

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