JAY – Both the teachers’ union and school officials were surprised by students protesting the lack of a teachers’ contract Thursday.

Students staged a 45-minute sit-in demonstration in the Jay High School gym.

Jay Education Association President Sherry Gilbert said she was “flabbergasted” to learn about the sit-in.

“I never dreamed they would do this,” she said. “I’m humbled. It’s nice to know we have someone who understands we do a whale of a job, that they understand that we go so far above the call of duty and give.”

She said teachers are still holding student events and following through on commitments to students. For instance, she said, she was holding a concert Thursday night and fourth-grade teachers went to a Sea Dogs game and didn’t get back to school until late. They were not paid extra for either activity.

School Committee Chairman Clint Brooks was surprised when heard about the protest and some of the students’ reasons.

“The (Jay School Committee) continues to be chagrined and perplexed over the decision of the JEA membership to work a seven-hour school day,” Brooks said in a written statement. “The inherent nature of this profession certainly suggests that a 180-day work year creates a unique circumstance … . Not only are the students for which they care so much about being hurt, the actions being taken do not influence agreements at the bargaining table. The committee continues to be very concerned with the financial impact that these contracts will ultimately engender upon a community already paying for an annual $10.2 million school budget in (a) system with a notably declining enrollment,” he wrote.

“To ask taxpayers to absorb another $1 million to pay wages and benefits is incomprehensible,” he continued. “Our fear is that the net result will be significant program cuts, which would have the potential for far greater devastation on the educational community in Jay. The JSC will continue to work diligently to reach an amicable settlement with the JEA as we have with several other bargaining units, but is fully cognizant of its responsibility to those who ultimately pay the bills.”

Brooks said the $1 million would be what it would cost if the board went with fact-finder recommendations for salaries and benefits over a three-year contract.

JEA negotiator Julie Taylor disagreed with Brooks’ $1 million figure. She said the board budgeted for contract negotiation’s last year and in the $10.2 million budget passed in April. She also said the board budgeted 20 percent for insurance increases, and it only came in at 9.9 percent.

She also said teachers would be contributing more for their health insurance and in the third year of the contract would be tripling their co-payment plus many of them would be opting for the less expensive insurance plan, which will save the school system money.

The less costly plan being offered is 8 percent less than the current plan, she said. Those teachers who opt to stay on the more expensive plan will also have to pay the difference in addition to paying the increased co-payment.

Taylor said there was enough money in the current budget and the new budget to cover expenses in regard to teachers’ negotiations if the fact-finding panel’s recommendations were accepted. The budget that would cover the third year of the contract has not been projected, she said.

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