“The vote was overwhelmingly in favor,” said Gallagher, adding that Superintendent James Schoenlein approached the union a few weeks ago on this issue. “We heard a lot of comments (from teachers) about wanting to support the district, working for the good of all of us — families students, administrators. And of being anxious that we will feel that same support from the school board.”
Teachers in at least five other local districts — Bellbrook, Dayton, Fairborn, Miamisburg and Oakwood — approved base pay freezes for last school year, this year or next year, often tied to levy efforts. Teachers in Dayton Public Schools approved pay freezes for this school year and last year.
“We know what a tough thing that is to do,” said David Romick, president of the Dayton Education Association. “In this economy, we’re going to be seeing that more and more often.”
Gallagher said Kettering’s pay and health insurance changes will be locked in for 2011-12 regardless of the outcome of November’s 4.9-mill school levy vote.
“Our contract for 2011-12 now calls for a 0 percent raise, and KEA will stand by our contract,” Gallagher said. “We have no intention of coming back and asking for a change. ... We have no secret provisions coming up (for a larger raise).”
The union’s pay-freeze agreement with the school board says that if a school levy passes in November or early next year, no union members will be laid off through the 2011-12 school year. But if no levy passes in that time, layoffs could begin next summer.
An anti-tax political action committee, called Citizens Advocating Responsible Government, earlier this month said it opposed Kettering’s 4.9-mill levy, citing the teachers’ unwillingness to take a pay freeze for 2010-11.
Schoenlein said the school officials are still talking to a support staff union that covers secretaries, bus drivers, custodians and others, but he hopes by next month to announce that all Kettering schools employees, including administrators, will take a base pay freeze in 2011-12.
“Our teachers are highly trained professional educators who continue to produce great test scores in spite of budget cuts and rising class sizes,” he said. “For them to take a pay freeze is monumental and speaks to their dedication to this community. No one could ask more of them.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2278 or jkelley@DaytonDailyNews.com. Staff writer Margo Rutledge Kissell contributed to this report.
About the Author
