BOE invites all to review memorandum
To The Editor,
The Board of Education is committed to communicating accurate information related to contract negotiations with the Ridgewood Education Association (REA). Laura Grasso’s letter to the editor last Friday was significantly misleading. Here are the facts.
* The Board has modified its contract proposals several times in the last year and on Jan. 20 and again on Feb. 29 we offered higher salaries, withdrew proposals related to additional time, and modified our healthcare proposal.
* The REA’s latest proposal would reduce their healthcare contributions by over $2.1 million over a new 3-year contract. Accepting such a proposal would require the Board to make significant cuts in other areas of the budget.
* Teachers currently contribute 25.7 percent of the cost of their healthcare premiums and the district pays 74.3 percent. The Board has offered to adjust the individual percentage contribution rates as long as the net contributions continue to equal 25.7 percent of the healthcare premiums.
* In 2012 the Board reduced healthcare costs by changing to the state health insurance plans. The Board shared these savings with the REA by increasing their salary 2.75 percent each year for the last three years.
* The change in the health insurance plan recently proposed by the Board for the new contract compares favorably with plans offered in the private sector with copays of $15 for primary and specialist doctor visits.
* The REA contends that the Board has $3.5 million to fund the contract settlement. This is untrue. The $3.5 million is a number calculated by the REA and the NJEA for their fact-finding submission. We believe that it fails to account for both the revenue and the expense sides in specific budget areas.
* Our teachers are among the highest paid in Bergen County. The Board recognizes the importance of competitive salaries to attract and retain talented and highly qualified teachers.
* NJ law, Chapter 44, limits the Board to annual property tax increases of no more than 2 percent. While the law allows for limited waivers to provide small tax increases above 2 percent, the Board is reluctant to further burden Ridgewood taxpayers.
* The fact that four of the Board members do not have children in our schools does not lessen our commitment to our students and staff. Our children graduated from Ridgewood High School. We are acutely aware of the quality of our schools and grateful for the education they received.
To continue our “tradition of excellence” our district must be financially sound. We cannot commit to salaries and benefit costs that exceed what the district can afford. To clearly understand the Board’s position, the public is invited to review our fact-finding memorandum posted to the district’s website at ridgewood.k12.nj.us.
The Board will continue to conduct our negotiations with genuine respect for our staff. We want to settle the contract with the REA and move forward in a positive manner.
Sheila Brogan
Vince Loncto
Jim Morgan
Christina Krauss
Jennie Smith Wilson
Ridgewood Board of Education
BOE-REA Negotiations
Click here to read a Letter to the Editor of The Ridgewood News, which appeared in the paper on February 12, 2016.
Click here to read the Ridgewood Board of Education’s Fact-Finding Presentation with the The Ridgewood Education Association.
Click here to view the backup for the Ridgewood Board of Education’s Fact-Finding Presentation with The Ridgewood Education Association.
BOE Meets on March 7 at 7:30 p.m.
The Ridgewood Board of Education will hold a Regular Public Meeting on Monday, March 7, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.
Click here to view the agenda for the March 7, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.
I support our BOE 100% and feel the REA and their Unions are out of touch with reality, meaning the real world. We must stop kicking the can and giving in to unsustainable contracts. My family of 6 pays $20,000 to $30,000 per year for health care, each of us has a $3,000 deductible, and we get to pay $45 co-pays, up from $30 last year. No raises for the last 3 years, so no additional money to go toward paying these Obamacare increases. Healthcare on a whole is flawed now beyond comprehension. We all must suffer including the teachers, police, and all civil servants suckling off the teat of their Unions.To all teachers, teach us how you can pay your fair share and not push it off to the taxpayers. Same for all civil servants nationwide. Paid unused sick time and vacation needs to go away for all. What happened to getting approval to possible carrying over 5 days like everyone else gets? Stop the sweetheart deals for retiring police chiefs, toll takers, etc. Enough is enough. I support our BOE for their understanding and urge them not to settle. Why is this country siding with a loud mouth Trump? Because we do need real change. Not Obama change which is just change left in your pocket.
Do tell, how a teacher or any other civil servant netting $65,000.00 per year could afford a family policy of $25,000. plus and add’l $18,000. for deductibles and live on $22,000.00?
Don’t forget the extra 40% excise tax on these platinum plans from 2020- which would come at the end of this new contract. Who pays that extra $12,000 per employee per year on family plans?
6:35, it’s called downgrade your plan to bronze level equivalent which to what most large private employers offer. Who do you think is subsidizing70% of the cost of your platinum health plan benefit today? Oh, taxpayers who also have to pay for their own health insurance. And where did you get the $65,000 number? That’s a union trick called “anchoring” and thankfully our BoE isn’t that stupid to fall for such bad faith negotiating tactics.
No Union trick, that is what I would net if I don’t include my benefit contribution. I left it out to add the premium you said you pay. I don’t see how I could afford the coverage you have and still pay my bills and buy food , etc.
Downgrade to bronze coverage like the rest of us and stop complaining – lots of young, hungry teachers want your job in Ridgewood, so you’re welcome to leave for greener pastures if the deal here doesn’t work for you. Taxpayers have had enough funding 70% of your $25,000 annual platinum family health plan with $5-15 co-pays and low deductibles. We have our own bronze level care to pay for, so just stop
8:21 am better get use to funding 70% of your $25,000 annual platinum family health plan with $5-15 co-pays and low deductibles, that isn’t going to change anytime soon.