May 9, 2023 By Carol Britton Meyer
The Salary and Negotiations Subcommittee of the School Committee continues to negotiate a contract with Hingham Public Schools Unit B Paraprofessionals through the Hingham Education Association collective bargaining process.
Numerous residents have signs in their yards advocating for what is referred to as a living wage for these workers. Teacher contract negotiations are also ongoing.
These meetings are held in executive session, which are confidential by law, Subcommittee member Kerry Ni said at Monday night’s School Committee meeting.
“We’ve had nine meetings with our paraprofessionals and MTA (Massachusetts Teachers Association) representatives so far,” which have been productive, she said.
The bargaining team “has come to tentative agreements on some of the Unit B proposals,” Ni continued. “Where we are struggling is around the financial package.”
While recognizing that paraprofessionals play a “crucial role working with our most vulnerable students,” Ni explained, the goal is to come up with a “fair financial” agreement “while understanding our responsibility to the town and to our students after asking residents to invest a large amount of money [in our school system — referring to the recent passage of a $7.9 million municipal/school override].”
Ni noted that 83 percent of the School Department budget is comprised of personnel-related costs. “These contracts [once approved] will remain in the budget for the next three years,” she said. “If we don’t get them right, other things would need to be cut down the road to pay for these salaries.”
Ni also noted that voters entering the recent Town Meeting were handed flyers with the message of “lifting our paraprofessionals out of poverty.”
That said, Ni explained that a “living wage” is currently considered to be $45,860, which if matched in the new HPS paraprofessional contract would represent a 125 percent increase in salary. “What wasn’t on the flyer is that this figure is based on working full-time, 40 hours a week, 52 weeks of the year,” which is different from the paraprofessionals’ schedule.
“We will continue to work with the paraprofessional bargaining team and the MTA representative [to reach an agreement] that makes financial sense for our district and students,” Ni said. “We will meet again tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon to continue the conversation.”
In other business at the meeting, Nes Correnti was elected as the new School Committee chair Monday night, with past Chair Michelle Ayer elected as Vice Chair. Jennifer Benham will serve as secretary.
“I’m so grateful that Jen and Michelle ran for reelection and remain on our executive team,” Correnti said. “This will make the transition to chair much easier. . . . I hope this is the year we get back to business as usual for School Committee members.”
During a discussion about school choice, the Committee decided to hold a public hearing [date to be announced] about the possibility — at Supt. of Schools Margaret Adams’ suggestion — of “piloting a small school choice program since we have some enrollment space to accept a few students,” she said. “This would generate some revenue — the amount is set by the state — and we would be reimbursed for any related special education costs for those students.”
The School Committee has voted to opt out of school choice in the past. The issue is a complicated one. “I think this is a bigger discussion,” Benham said.
Ni said she would like to know why “so many of our peer towns don’t do it.”
Adams explained that some school districts “don’t have the space and would need to hire additional staff. We would have control over the grade level and the number of students accepted,” she said.
As with any school choice program, students who are accepted would remain with the HPS through graduation.
The final decision rests with the School Committee.