school committee negotiations with SPA

Shrewsbury School Committee and Shrewsbury Paraeducator Association Contract Negotiations

Overview

On October 23, 2023, the Shrewsbury School Committee (SC) began discussing its desire to begin negotiations with the Shrewsbury Paraeducator Association (SPA). On October 25, 2023, SPA President, Noreen Christie informed the SC that their negotiation team did not want to use the Interest Based Bargaining (IBB) format and preferred to remain with traditional bargaining practices. On December 14, 2023, Ms. Christie provided the SC with the names of the SPA members on their negotiation team. On December 18, 2023, School Committee (SC) members, Jon Wensky and Sandra Fryc, along with members of the School Committee Negotiating Team met with the Shrewsbury Paraeducator Association (SPA) Negotiating Team to begin negotiations for a new contract covering the period of August 27, 2024 through August 26, 2027.

The Shrewsbury School Committee is the body elected by Shrewsbury citizens, whose responsibilities include working with our employee bargaining units to reach agreement on fair, equitable, and financially sustainable contracts. The SPA is currently working under a contract that ran from August 27, 2021 through August 26, 2024. Per law, most terms of this contract remain in effect until a successor contract is negotiated and ratified by both parties.

The two negotiating teams have met a total of seventeen times between December 18, 2023 and October 7, 2024. An additional negotiations meeting is currently scheduled for October 21, 2024.

The School Committee published this public update regarding the negotiations on September 20, 2024. The School Committee has now published summaries of each of the negotiation sessions thus far which can be viewed at the links below.

Meeting Summaries:

October 7, 2024:

The Shrewsbury School Committee provided a new counterproposal on wages in the form of a package proposal, including agreements with many elements of the SPA’s previous package proposal (many of which represent items proposed and discussed by the parties over the course of the negotiations):

SPA proposal for one-time retention bonus of $300 in Year 1 for paras hired on/before 9/1/23 who remain working as of the end of this school year – School Committee agrees
Case Management Time for ABA Techs – School Committee agrees
Meeting Times – School Committee agrees
Summer Assignment language – School Committee agrees
Vacancies language – School Committee agrees
Emergency Family Medical Leave – School Committee agrees
Addition of “Behavior Technician” role at NC-6A scale hourly rates – School Committee agrees
Addition of “Lead ABA Technician” role at $750 annual stipend – School Committee agrees
Increase work day by 15 minutes for all paras working a full-day schedule (except Media Aides, COTAs, SLPAs) – School Committee agrees
Increase hourly differential rate for paras serving as substitutes by $1 per hour in each year of the contract (to $6, $7, & $8 per hour) – School Committee agrees (beginning with ratification)
Additional 9 hours of Professional Development time annually – School Committee agrees
Increase number of paid holidays to 12 for all paras (13 for ABA Technicians working summer schedule) by adding Juneteenth Independence Day as a paid holiday, regardless of whether school is in session for students on June 19 – School Committee agrees
Addition of toileting stipend of $450 for eligible students in Grade 5 or higher – School Committee agrees
Increase of stipend for Child-Specific Assistant – School Committee holds at doubling stipend to $600, in context of other financial enhancements in this package

SPA proposal for longevity pay – School Committee counters as follows:
- In Year 2, add Milestone Achievement Award of one-time, lump sum payments as follows:
  - Paras who complete 15th school year – $1,000
  - Paras who complete 20th school year – $2,000
- At the end of Year 2, all paras who will have completed years 15 through 19 will receive the $1,000 award
- At the end of Year 2, all paras who will have completed 20 or more years will receive the $2,000 award
- In Year 3, paras who complete years 15 or 20 will receive the award

October 7, 2024 School Committee Wage Scale Counter

SPA proposal for 4.0% hourly wage adjustment across the board in Year 1 – School Committee agrees
SPA proposal re: NC-3 steps all 3 years – School Committee agrees
- Year 1: Drop NC-3 Steps 1-4 add new top step 2% higher than previous step
- Year 2: Drop NC-3 lowest step and add new top step 2% higher than previous step
- Year 3: Drop NC-3 lowest step and add new top step 2% higher than previous step
School Committee counter on Year 2 hourly wages and steps
- NC-3: 3.0%
- NC-6 and NC-7A: 2.75%
- NC-6 and NC-7A both drop lowest step and add new top step 2% higher
School Committee holds on shifting Media Aides and Tutors to NC-6A wage scale starting in Year 1 (same as ABA Technicians)
- Top step Media Aides and Tutors currently at maximum Step 6 on previous scale would move to Step 7 and receive a step increase each of the 3 years of the new contract
- See wage scale handouts (link below) for illustration of increases
  - Effective hourly rates for Tutors at top steps, depending on years in SPS, would be
    - Year 1: $30.70 to $30.76
    - Year 2: $31.88 to $34.09
    - Year 3: $33.42 to $34.76
- School Committee counter for Year 3 hourly wages and steps
  - 2.75% hourly wage adjustment for all scales
  - Additional steps for all scales for paras at 10 year and 15 year benchmarks as follows:
    - New top step 2% higher than proposed top steps for paras who will be in their 10th through 14th year in SPS
    - New top step 2% higher than the new step for Years 10-14 for paras who will be in their 15th year or more in SPS

See wage scale for illustration of increases here.

Click here to see how the SC’s proposed wage scale is applied to paraeducator roles in the different categories, including the percentage increases over the full three years of the contract for the actual hourly rate and for the effective hourly rate, which includes all forms of income (paid holidays, vacation days, stipends, etc.)

The SPA reviewed the SC’s package, and then verbally provided a counterproposal that agreed to all elements of the SC’s package, with the exception of the following:

The SPA proposed that all three wage categories increase by the same COLA within each year, and that these would be 4.0% in Year, 3.0% in Year 2, and 3.0% in Year 3.
That the Tutor role be included in the highest wage category, along with Certified Occupational Therapist Assistants (COTAs), Speech and Language Pathology Assistants (SLPAs), and Physical Therapy Assistants (PTAs)

The SC took the SPA counterproposal under advisement and will respond at the next negotiations session on October 21.

September 23, 2024

September 3, 2024

June 17, 2024

June 10, 2024

June 4, 2024

May 16, 2024

May 6, 2024

April 25, 2024

April 8, 2024

March 25, 2024

March 21, 2024

March 1, 2024

February 29, 2024

February 1, 2024

January 22, 2024

December 18, 2023

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

School Committee and Shrewsbury Paraeducator Association Negotiations

This information was last updated on October 15, 2024

A) What is the collective bargaining process?

The School Committee and the Shrewsbury Paraeducator Association (SPA) agree upon ground rules to guide the negotiations.
Once ground rules are set, each party presents proposals that include changes that they wish to make in the existing contract, including adjustments to salary and benefits. These items are usually presented within the first two or three meetings, followed by counter proposals and discussion.
Once the parties reach a tentative agreement it is subject to ratification by the union membership and approval by the full School Committee, including Town Manager, Kevin Mizikar. After ratification and approval, the agreement becomes effective. If a contract has expired, members will receive wages and benefits agreed to under the new contract retroactively upon ratification.

B) Who can I speak with about this process?

The School Committee is always here to answer any questions or concerns of any Shrewsbury Community member. Please feel free to reach out at any time.

C) Are members of the public able to observe the negotiations?

Like all other Shrewsbury town departments, the School Committee and the unions have always engaged in a traditional collective bargaining process that is not conducted in public.

The reason for confidentiality is to promote open discussion between the bargaining teams to help the parties reach agreement. The vast majority of school committees in Massachusetts conduct confidential negotiations with their unions.

The Committee also understands that the community is interested in the progress of negotiations. Consequently, the Committee will update the public as frequently as possible during our full School Committee meetings.

D) Who does the Shrewsbury paraeducator Association (SPA) Represent?

The SPA represents all paraeducator positions in the school district.

E) Who is on the negotiating teams for the Shrewsbury paraeducator Association (SPA)?

The SPA selects a team of bargaining unit members for its negotiating teams, and is typically represented by a negotiator from the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA). The MTA is a statewide organization that provides support and legal representation to member unions.

The current members of the SPA negotiating team are:

Noreen Christie, SPA President

Meghan Tower, SPA Vice President

Deb Troio, SPA Treasurer

Amanda Salvaggi, SPA Secretary

Cindi Belanger

Nicole Davis

Caroline Donahue

Wesley Engvall

Kevin O’Connor

Olivia Villani

Shanna Weston, MTA Representative

F) Who is on the negotiating team for the Shrewsbury School Committee?

Jon Wensky and Sandra Fryc represent the School Committee with support from the superintendent, Dr. Joseph Sawyer, Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Services, Meg Belsito, and Executive Director of Human Resources, Barb Malone, and Lindsey Stasiowski, Human Resources Manager. The Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations, Chris Girardi, provides support regarding financials. The negotiating team is represented in negotiations by Attorneys Sarah Spatafore and Joseph Proctor from the law firm of Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane.

G) Are School Committee Members Paid?

No. The members of the School Committee are volunteers who are elected by Shrewsbury voters to oversee the running of the Shrewsbury Public Schools. They don’t receive any compensation, payments, or stipends for their time. School committee members often dedicate 10-35 hours each week to the vital operations of the school district.

H) What is the difference between Wage Scales (Lanes), Steps, and Compensation Rate Adjustments for paraeducators?

Paraeducators are non-exempt employees who are paid on an hourly basis. They receive compensation as outlined in the negotiated compensation schedule. The compensation schedule for paraeducators is organized into multiple wage scales depending on the specific paraeducator role. Within these scales, there are “steps” for years of experience. There is an adjustment of the hourly rates in the wage scales from year to year, typically known as a “Cost of Living Adjustment,” or “COLA.”

For paraeducators, “lanes” refer to the category of a particular paraeducator role (for example, an Instructional Assistant role is in a different category than an Applied Behavioral Analysis Technician)
Steps represent the experience level of the employee; once placed on a step when hired based on experience, education, or the needs of the district, the employee advances a step with each year of employment, until reaching the maximum step.
The COLA is the percentage increase applied to the hourly rate in a particular year of the contract for the category of employees represented in a particular wage scale.

To see the most recent compensation schedule for Shrewsbury paraeducators, click the link below.

SPA Contract 2021-2024- compensation schedule on page 28

I) How are SPA Staff Health Insurance Contributions Determined?

The employer/employee share of health insurance premiums is not specified in the contract. Health insurance rates for all Shrewsbury employees are the same. Any change in the percentages paid by employees is determined by the work of the Town of Shrewsbury’s Insurance Advisory Committee (IAC), who meets with the Town Manager to come to agreements regarding the employee health insurance program for all Town of Shrewsbury employees. The SPA holds a voting seat on the IAC.

To view health insurance benefits information for all Town of Shrewsbury employees, click here.

J) What salary increases have each party proposed for paraeducators in the new contract?

Recognizing the need for a fair wage for our paraeducators, the School Committee reviewed the current local labor market for this position and has made proposals that significantly increase paraeducator compensation. The School Committee’s most recent proposal for total compensation increases annual total pay for paraeducators by a range of approximately 17% to 39% (depending on the role and years of experience) over the three years of the contract. These increases are a result of:

-Increases to the hourly wage rates of between 9.50% and 9.75% over three years, resulting in actual hourly rate increases that average about 19% over three years due to adjusting the number of steps

-An additional paid holiday

-Doubling the stipend for Child Specific Assistant Paraeducators (to $600)

-Agreeing to increase the work day by 15 minutes for several categories

-Agreeing to increase paid professional development and meeting time

The most recent proposals for each party can be viewed at the following links:

October 7 SPA wage scale proposal (current proposal on the table)

October 7 School Committee wage scale proposal (most recent School Committee proposal)

September 23 SPA wage scale proposal (counter to School Committee’s June 17 proposal)

June 17, 2024 School Committee wage scale proposal (counter to SPA’s June 10 proposal)

K) What is the “Living Wage” that SPA has referred to?

This language comes from a living wage calculator created by a professor at MIT, which estimates what a “living wage” is in counties across the U.S., based on multiple factors.

The calculator is based on an employee being compensated for a full-time, 40 hour/week, 52 weeks per year work schedule (or 2,080 hours).

Comparatively, Shrewsbury paraeducators work anywhere from approximately 54% to 67% of the hours that MIT calculator considers to be full-year, full-time work, depending on the daily number of hours and number of days worked across the school year and, in the case of some, required summer program work.

The MIT Living Wage Calculator uses a yearly amount to estimate the total pay over the course of a full year of work necessary to meet the employee’s needs. The MIT Calculator then breaks this yearly amount down to an hourly rate based on 2,080 total work hours, so it can be fairly compared to those who work fewer hours.

For Worcester County, the current living wage estimated by the MIT Calculator is $23.84. It is important to note that this is based upon all compensation an employee receives – in the case of paraeducators this would include their hourly wage, plus paid holidays, plus paid vacation days, plus any stipends that employee earns. Taking the total income a paraeducator receives and dividing it by the actual hours that they work in a year provides the “effective hourly rate” that can be fairly compared to the MIT Living Wage Calculator’s hourly rate. The School Committee’s most recent proposal for total compensation increases annual total pay by a range of approximately 17% to 39% (depending on the role and years of experience) over the three years of the contract, a substantial increase that moves the effective hourly rate above the “Living Wage” hourly rate for all but a small portion of newer paraeducators in Year 1 and for all roles by Year 3.

Paraeducators are non-exempt hourly workers. Unlike teachers, who have responsibilities such as planning and grading outside of the time they are required to be at school each day, paraeducators are not expected to perform duties outside of the hours when they are at work.

Paraeducators receive additional compensation beyond their hourly pay. For example, all paraeducators have 11 paid holidays, except ABA Technicians who have 12 (July 4 paid holiday is added due to their summer schedule). The parties are in agreement to increase paid holidays to 12 and 13, respectively. ABA Technicians also receive between 5 and 10 paid vacation days annually depending on years of experience, and Child-Specific Assistant Paraeducators receive an annual stipend of $300 (which the parties are tentatively in agreement to double to $600 for the new contract)

L) Do paraeducators receive additional compensation when they substitute for a teacher?

Yes. While paraeducators may be asked to cover for brief periods of time, anyone who is asked to cover a class for the teacher is compensated by an additional hourly payment per the terms of the contract. This has tentatively been agreed to be $6 additional pay per hour in the first year of the new contract, increasing to $7 and then $8 per hour of additional pay in the second and third years.

M) What is a sustainable budget?

The town defines “Sustainable” as a financial forecast that uses realistic assumptions for revenue and expenditure growth that allow the Town to 1) provide services that meet residents’ expectations, and 2) meet ongoing expenditure obligations through regularly occurring revenues.

N) Does Shrewsbury Public Schools have a large number of paid Administrators?

The district’s total full-time equivalency (FTE) of staff members in its budget is 969.5 (this does not include Food Service staff and Extended School Care staff, which brings the number over 1,000). There are 27.0 FTE administrators (10 Assistant Principals and 1 Athletic Director in the Unit B collective bargaining unit, 8 principals, and 6 Central Office administrators, the Director of Information Technology, and the Director of Extended Learning ) which is 2.8% of the employees. The Administrator team is in charge of managing a district of 5,942 students and over 1,000 employees. In addition to the 25 administrators, there are 41 other employees with either supervisory or curriculum and instruction roles, many of whom are also teachers part of the time, such as Department Directors and Curriculum Coordinators. Shrewsbury Public Schools ranks 279 out of 314 reporting districts in the state for spending on Administration (bottom 11th percentile). The following chart shows a comparison of Shrewsbury’s ‘Administration’ Per Pupil Expenditure compared to comparable districts and the state average:

O) How does Shrewsbury Public Schools compare with other school districts in terms of the number and type of paraeducators?

It is difficult to compare the paraeducator positions across districts, as there are many different ways in which various districts utilize paraeducator roles, how they title them, etc. One way to compare to other districts is through the “Other Teaching Services” category in the state’s per pupil expenditure data, which includes paraeducators.

Shrewsbury ranks 83 out of 314 reporting districts in the ‘Other Teaching Services’ category (top 26th percentile) from its most recent Per Pupil Expenditure data. Paraeducators make up the largest percentage of this category with 304.6 FTE positions. The following chart shows a comparison of Shrewsbury’s ‘Other Teaching Services’ Per Pupil Expenditure compared to comparable districts and the state average: