TURNER — Teachers from Leavitt Area High School attended Thursday’s SAD 52 school board meeting signifying their concern over delayed contract negotiations. 

 

Teachers held signs with the theme “worth more” and numeric comparisons of their current salaries to what they estimate they could make at other high schools. The group of about 45 teachers, some sitting, some standing around the perimeter of the Turner Primary School Cafeteria, remained silent until board Chairwoman Betsy Bullard opened the meeting for public comment.

 

Rachael Madison, a science teacher for the past 12 years at Leavitt Area High School, was the first to speak.

 

“The gap between the salaries in our district and Maine’s nearby districts has really grown in the last nine years,” Madison said.

 

Nine years ago, according to Madison, the difference between her salary at Leavitt and what she would potentially make at Spruce Mountain High School in Jay was $3,440 a year. Madison’s sign indicated that currently, she could make $9,589 more at Spruce. 

 

“Though I didn’t consider leaving nine years ago, this is something that I think some of us are starting to consider,” she said.

 

Leavitt teacher Jaime Juntura put a perspective on the $8,000 he could make nearby by saying, “I drive a 1999 Toyota Camry that sometimes you have to jiggle the battery to start.”

 

Juntura said when he ran that figure by his wife, she said, “Hey, that’s a new car.”

 

Another teacher, Barbara Gavin, said, “I would be teaching here the next day if I won the lottery.” Still, Gavin said she found the relatively low wages “demoralizing.”

 

Teacher contracts run on a three-year cycle. After the meeting, Bullard said, “Negotiations have taken long enough that we’re actually outside that three-year time frame.”

 

Superintendent Kimberly Brandt said, “Both the board and the teachers have been working hard on negotiations and have had some good conversations, but it has taken longer than any of us anticipated.” 

 

Bullard said contract negotiation mediation is scheduled for next week, and they are looking forward to a resolution.

 

Special Education Director Rebekah Drysdale presented information on the proposed Child Development Services legislation, which will be reviewed by the Legislature in January. If passed, it will shift special education for 3- to 5-year-olds to school districts.

 

Under this model, all aspects of special education services for this age group would become the responsibility of the local district. This includes case management, child find, evaluation, eligibility determination, individualized education program development, and the provision of special education and related services.

 

Drysdale said either she or Assistant Special Education Director Heidi Connelly will attend the meeting of the advisory committee that has been established to look at how the new regulations will affect local schools.

 

Many questions have yet to be answered, she said, including details about funding. Practical considerations such as facilities, personnel and transportation to and from school for 3- and 4-year-olds are being weighed. 

 

Drysdale told the board at this time there is no commitment to a dollar amount of state funding guaranteed to the districts to cover the cost of the changes.