BUCKFIELD – Buckfield Teachers Association members say the educational environment is deteriorating as efforts to settle their contract fail.

“Mediation is not working,” said Daniel Allen, a high school literacy specialist and co-president of association. SAD 39 serves about 600 students living in Buckfield, Hartford and Sumner.

The three-year contract expired Aug. 31, 2006, and despite efforts by negotiators on both sides of the table, negotiations broke down, and the matter was sent to mediation in October for resolution.

While both sides agree that financial issues are at the crux of the disagreement, school board representatives will not talk about the details.

“From the board’s perspective, we’re not talking to the press about about negotiations except to say we’re engaged in the process and the sticking points are financial,” Superintendent Richard Colpitts said Friday.

Low salaries and higher health insurance costs top the list of unresolved issues, Allen disclosed. “In general it seemed to be involving more work, no more money and increased hours and responsibility,” he said of the school board’s proposal.

Although two mediation sessions have taken place – in disputing party representatives meet together and/or separately with a state mediator – it’s unclear what type of progress, if any, is being made.

School board Chairman Colleen Bullecks, who doesn’t participate in the negotiation sessions but gets monthly updates, was evasive when asked if she felt progress was being made based on the information she received. “I don’t know. I’m not going to comment,” she said.

Allen said the school board’s proposals have been unacceptable. “We’re looking for a real raise. No one expects to make a lot of money. We know we’re teachers. We know we’re supported by property taxes,” Allen said. “They’re (school directors) looking to spend very little money.”

On Feb. 6, the association outlined several areas of discontent in a letter to Bullecks and Colpitts. In that letter the association cited problems in the school’s climate and leadership including what they consider to be an higher level of disrespect toward educators. Questions also involve leadership issues if two school districts consolidate as is currently recommended under Gov. John Baldacci’s school consolidation plan.

Additionally, the Buckfield Education Association questioned why accurate information concerning staffing, salary and health insurance allegedly had not been provided.

“Teachers in MSAD 39 are tired of working hard to improve the school system to make it an attractive place for students and staff to work and learn without support from the top level administration,” a BEA statement stated. … “The perception of many teachers is that the board and superintendent have no interest in complying with the statewide movement across school districts to pay teachers what they are worth and to adjust salary schedules to accurately and fairly reflect the changes made in statewide minimum teachers salaries of $27,000 and $30,000 over the next few years. Teachers in SAD 39 feel abandoned and disrespected and insulted by the actions and inactions of the Board and Superintendent over the past year. Morale is at an all-time low.”

Allen said that despite a minimum rise in the starting teacher salary to $27,000 for the 2006-07 school year and $30,000 for the next school year, longtime teachers are not seeing an equitable raise in their salary. In other words, a new teacher with no experience could come in at a salary of $30,000 and work next to a veteran teacher who makes only $5,000 more, he said.

Allen said he is not sure when a third mediation session will be held. Colpitts said state mediator Don Ziegenbein is next expected to meet with representatives of the 60-member teachers association alone.

If mediation fails, the next step could be nonbinding fact-finding or arbitration.

So far, teachers have taken limited work action such as protesting at a recent board meeting. Allen said the association will continue on that route as long as it is productive.

“We just would like to get this thing settled,” Allen said.