Teachers Appeal To Community Support For Contract

STAMFORD – As local school districts head into budget season, teachers at Stamford Central School are appealing to members of the public regarding their lack of a union contract. They say they need members of the public to show support to the school board on their behalf in order to get a new contract before the new budget is set. Negotiations are ongoing as the two sides see it differently.

Madonna Staiber has been teaching elementary classes at SCS for 31-years and is a longtime member of the negotiating team. She said it is about getting respect. "It is discouraging," she said. "We feel as if we are underpaid and undervalued. We can't keep younger teachers on staff, because some of them can't afford to pay their bills."

It is about bringing SCS teacher's salaries in line with the other districts in the region and being able to retain experienced educators, she said. The district has had a lot of turnover in teachers, which affects student outcomes. More experienced teachers are more effective, according to the research. They improve student attendance and learning.

According to the worksheet from the Stamford Teachers Association (STA), the district has had 57 teachers leave over the past 11 years, with just nine retirements.

On the spectrum of starting salaries, SCS sits almost at the bottom, just above neighboring South Kortright, which will see an increase this year according to their negotiated contract. The starting salary at SCS is $45,340 and the highest in the region is at Roxbury at $51,494. The closest in salary is Margaretville, which is  nearly $2,000 higher at $47,117.

There are 27 union members at SCS, 23 of them instructional. While a four-year contract was negotiated previously, it took 3 1/2 years to get it passed, leaving the teachers with only 1 1/2 years of that  contract before finding themselves back at the negotiating table. 

They are now seeking a three-year contract, asking for a 7 percent raise to close the gap. That percentage would bring SCS teachers closer to the regional pay standards and allow the district to retain quality educators.

Superintendent Glen Huot stated in the 2025-2026 budget newsletter that the focus is on recruiting and retaining high-quality faculty and staff. The teachers would like to hold him to that statement, but don't believe the district is recruiting the best teachers due to the lower starting salaries. If another district is paying more, they go to the other district.

Each year, the district's budget has exceeded the actual cost of teacher salaries by five to 10 percent, enough, teachers say, to cover the 7 percent raise they are asking. They also point to their own report card, with higher ELA and math scores, which are at the top compared to other districts. The total cost of the raise would be $119,000, according to Staiber and those higher scores prove that SCS teachers are doing their jobs.

The teachers argue that the district overstates real teacher salary costs, even though it is used in public discussions to reflect actual spending. Each 1 percent increase in teacher payroll is $17,000, just over .15 percent of the district’s total $11 million budget.

They have held a couple of meetings with parents and community members to provide some facts, another will be held March 18. Conditions and morale are poor, according to Kristen Basile, school guidance counselor. She said they are given more demands and no extra pay, or a contract. 

Teachers come and go at SCS. As soon as they see a better offer, they leave. Staiber said some teachers are actually finding themselves utilizing local food pantries. She said, people often don't understand this. The younger teachers are still paying back the student loans they needed to obtain their masters degree, in addition to paying rent and, like everyone else, trying to keep up with the ever-increasing cost of living. Those with families struggle and she said that while the administration will say teachers are leaving due to other circumstances, Staiber said they are really leaving for better pay.

“We are not teachers because we want to get rich. If we were getting rich, the line to fill teaching vacancies would be much longer," said Staiber.

 She said teachers have the same amount of care and concern for their students that they have always had and teachers often dig into their own pockets to provide things for their students. Some work extra hours and weekends to make sure their lessons are ready for students. They also write grants to provide extra programs. She thanks the Robinson-Broadhurst Foundation for awarding grants that have provided an after school Legos Club and a Science Club. Those teachers are not receiving extra pay, but are doing it for the kids. High school teachers have started a Leadership Club. 

She said she does not want it to be an emotional issue by pointing fingers at the superintendent and his salary or other issues, but she asks the public to look at the figures and notice the budget is top heavy. Many new things have been added to the budget, such as paying someone to do the teacher evaluations. The district has also had several capital projects. She believes there are many places in the budget to make up for any salary increase granted to the teachers. 

She said the argument is often about the benefits, such as the health care and retirement, that teachers receive. She said there are teachers who do not utilize the school's health insurance plan, they use their spouse's plan, which saves the district money. The administration also argues the cost of retirement for teachers, but the number of retirees is dwindling, which is often termed legacy costs. Those costs have also decreased, said Staiber.

The district's operating surplus, which is reported to the state Department of Education each year, was $1.1 million in 2023-2024. In the same year, the district budgeted $1.84 million in teachers' salaries but only paid $1.75 million. Retirement contributions were budgeted at $251,356 and the district actually paid $213,585. Medical payments were down 6 percent.

The next school board meeting will be held March 12 at 6 p.m. in the school cafeteria. The next community outreach meeting will be held Wednesday, March 18 at 6 p.m. at TP’s Cafe and the public is welcome to attend.

There are two sides to every story and the  Stamford Central School District issued a lengthy statement regarding the ongoing contract negotiations.

“The Stamford Central School District is providing this public update regarding collective bargaining negotiations for a successor agreement with the Stamford Teachers Association (STA). Collective bargaining began in Spring 2025 and remains ongoing. 

“The district is committed to offering regionally competitive salaries and benefits to our dedicated faculty and staff. We value all employees and are committed to negotiating fair and equitable agreements while remaining fiscally responsible to the taxpayers of our community.”

The current proposal is 7 percent for the next three years, estimated to cost $490,000 over current salaries for 29 teachers. Other proposals have proposed 7, 6, and 5 percent or 6, 6, and 6 percent.

The  STA has referenced raises at the Otsego Northern Catskills Center Board of Cooperative Educational Services (ONC BOCES) at 6 percent, 6.1 percent and 6.2 percent. However, states the release, comparisons must include both salary and healthcare benefits.

ONC BOCES pays 60 percent of employee healthcare in retirement and 40 percent of spousal healthcare in retirement. In contrast, Stamford’s structure differs significantly and results in higher district healthcare costs and, according to the release, ranks the month the highest in the ONC BOCES region. Most teacher retirees contribute a flat dollar amount determined to retire (equal to 10 percent of the cost at that time). Employees hired before July 1, 2023 remain on a flat dollar contribution structure that does not change. Employees hired after that date contribute 10 percent of premium costs. This flat amount does not increase  during retirement. It applies to retirees and spouses.

The school district is proposing a 4.25 percent salary increase in each of the three years and a modest increase in healthcare contribution structure.

“The STAT has rejected all proposals that include adjustments to healthcare contributions. Retiree healthcare benefits are a form of deferred compensation and must be considered alongside salary in total compensation comparisons.”

The district also points to long-range fiscal planning. The estimated three-year total increase in state aid of $136,000 does not cover the projected cost of the proposed salary increases.

The board of education remains committed to: Responsible long-range planning (5-10 years), Negotiating in good faith; Maintaining fiscal responsibility; ensuring equity for all employees and protecting taxpayers.

The press release also points to the state Education Department’s unfunded mandates which create additional financial obligations, such as: i.e.: year building condition surveys; electric school bus mandate; heat index regulations that may require air conditioning and electrical infrastructure upgrades and and additional capital costs.

The press release also speaks to the regional salary comparisons, stating, “Stamford’s salary schedule is competitive within the region. Comparative data from neighboring districts demonstrates that Stamford salaries are aligned regionally across experience levels. 

“The Stamford Central School District remains committed to fair negotiations, responsible fiscal planning and maintaining educational excellence for our students and community>”