• Continuing negotiations won't affect school opening
• Top issues include more instructional time

TRENTON, August 19, 1999-One hundred thirty school districts in New Jersey remain in teacher contract negotiations for the 1999-2000 school year, according to information released today by the New Jersey School Boards Association.

Two hundred nine (209) of the state's 589 operating school districts have been negotiating new contracts to begin in the 1999-2000 school year. To date, 63.4% (130 out of 209) have not reached agreement, a lower percentage than last year at this time when 71.4% (or 155 out of 217 districts in negotiations) had not yet reached agreement for the 1998-99 school year.

"It's not unusual for the school year to begin with a large number of districts still in negotiations," said Edwina M. Lee, NJSBA acting executive director. "Students and parents should not be alarmed if their school district has not yet reached agreement with the teachers union. Teachers, in fact, never 'work without a contract.' Until a new agreement is reached, the employees remain covered by the former contract with all of its benefits and protections."

Typically, the months of September and October produce a large number of contract settlements, according to NJSBA.

"Our data also shows that school boards have successfully used the bargaining table to benefit both taxpayers and students while ensuring that teaching staff are fairly compensated," noted Lee. "Boards are increasing teacher-student contact time and controlling costs."

Increased Instructional Time More than a third of the school districts that have settled contracts have increased the workday or increased teacher-student contact time, NJSBA reports. Thirty-six percent of teacher contracts call for longer days, longer years, or changes in schedules that will allow teachers to spend more time with students.

"Research has shown that students benefit from more instructional time. Some boards seek to add full days to the school calendar; others have increased the length of the school day," Lee explained. "Even by adding 10 minutes to the school day, you've increased instructional time by the equivalent of five days or more for the entire school year.

"Many boards have also expanded teachers' contact time with students by negotiating changes in the existing workday, such as reducing preparation time or eliminating a study hall.

"These provisions illustrate how school boards are using the negotiation process to attain educational goals," said Lee.

Compensation Average salary increases for settlements reached since July 1, 1998 for the 1999-2000 school year are 3.88%, according to NJSBA.

Managing Fringe Benefits "Containing the cost of health insurance is an issue that school boards have been addressing for a number of years," explained Lee. "As with last year's survey results, our most recent data shows that nearly half the contracts contain provisions to reign in health-care expenses."

Overall, 47% of the most recent teacher contracts include some mechanism for managing health expenses, according to the NJSBA statistics. Examples include requiring or increasing existing co-payments on prescriptions, increasing the number of hours a part-time employee must work to receive benefits, and increasing employee deductibles.

This is not a new trend, however. NJSBA statistics show that over the past five years, 80% of school districts have reported such cost containment measures.

Upcoming Issues Many New Jersey school districts will begin dealing with the issue of continuing teacher education during future contract negotiations, according to NJSBA. A state requirement, effective September 2000, mandates that all teachers receive at least 100 hours of training every five years.

"The state's continuing education requirement comes without any additional state financing. Yet, it can have a strong impact on local resources," Lee explained. "It could affect such negotiations areas as tuition reimbursement for college courses, a teacher's movement on the salary guide, and additional work time."

At its semi-annual meeting in May, NJSBA members voted to monitor local school district experience with the new continuing process during its first year. The study would identify any needed changes in the funding or administration of the program and provide direction for future NJSBA advocacy on the continuing education issue.

NJSBA Assistance "Local boards of education are responsible for negotiating collective bargaining agreements with their employees," concluded Lee. "NJSBA offers labor relations training, direct consultation, and numerous publications to help local school board members carry out this responsibility."

The New Jersey School Boards Association is a federation of more than 600 local boards of education. Established more than 80 years ago, NJSBA represents the education and related health and safety interests of New Jersey's 1.2 million public school students and advocates the positions of the state's local school districts. The Association also provides inservice training and technical assistance to the state's 4,800 local board of education members. School board members, who serve without compensation, are the largest group of elected and appointed public officials in New Jersey.