“It’s for the Kids?” Not so Fast!

One of the phrases which I could never cotton to very well, yet one which I have heard expressed countless times in my association within, as well as outside of the educational communities of the Bridgewater-Raritan School District, is this one:  “It’s for the kids.” 

NJEA Headquarters, Trenton, NJ

It always seemed to grate against my view of common sense because, when articulated, it was usually done within the context of a proposal for an increase in the budget; or, just as often, as bargaining units were either in the midst of negotiating for salary increases or rebuffing a call to share in the burden of shouldering – however minimally – the escalating costs of health benefits.

How, I wondered, that here in New Jersey, where the cost of education is the highest in the land, and where 80% of those costs are directly related to salaries and benefits, could it possibly be in the best interest of “the kids” to keep pushing for a total compensation package that is no longer reasonably sustainable without breaking the back of the local tax base and the budgets of individual families?

How could it possibly be that “It’s for the kids,” when the last three-year wage package which expires this June 30^th was easily approved without serious examination by elected officials, and without prior public scrutiny?  That compensation package provided for a salary increase of 12.8% which, when compounded annually, results in a bump-up exceeding 13%. 

At this moment, representatives of the three bargaining units of the Bridgewater-Raritan School District are either deadlocked with the Board of Education, or are simply no longer negotiating with it, preferring, it seems, to see who will blink first.  The public does not know what the status of that situation is, nor does it have any input. 

Yet we, the voters of Bridgewater and Raritan, are expected to make an informed decision on April 27^th for or against passage of the 2011-2012 school budget, when we have absolutely no idea of the local tax impact of current on-again, off-again bargaining sessions with representatives of the three individual associations which represent principals, supervisors and teachers of Bridgewater and Raritan.

Just so we all get this clear:  The current budget that goes before you on Wednesday, April 27^th, does not contain a dime for salary increases.  However, it does cover a hike of about 30% in health care costs paid for by you, the voters – no one else.

The money to cover much of that 30% hike in healthcare premiums originated from a decision made by Governor Christie’s administration to provide increased state aid funding which was, in turn, built into a last-minute Bridgewater-Raritan school budget “reconciliation” of $2.2 million.

This presents the possibility of a settlement – however slim it may be – of a pre-election deal negotiated around those two factors without increasing the budget (call me naïve!).

But the bargaining units would have to experience an epiphany and accept a dose of reality for medicine.  That, for a change, would be “for the kids.” 

Thanks for checking in and for reading.