The Herricks Teachers’ Association and representatives for the Board of Education met on March 15 and March 17. We are pleased to have reached agreements for three of the five HTA contracts. Unfortunately, we were not able to agree on terms for the Teacher and Teaching Assistant contracts.
The process the HTA committed to on January 20 was one we took very seriously. On Feb. 7, the leadership of the HTA met with the board’s representatives and proposed comprehensive retirement incentives. We felt clearly this was the place to start our dialogue as many districts had already introduced similar incentives in January. Those districts were able to begin in earnest, budget processes that allowed attrition savings to be factored in, and lower their overall budget numbers early on. Few, if any programs and staff were eliminated in those districts.
The HTA saw this as an opportunity for the board and its members. Programs for our children would be saved, and the district would be spared the financial obligations of higher salaried employees and unemployment benefit costs.
With $1.16 million to the Employee Benefits and Accured Liability Reserve Fund, we felt this as a place to start and start early. Couple with HTA salary concessions, these savings would have totaled in excess of $1 million.
With that said, the HTA remains dedicated to this community. Tonight as we sit at the Board of Education meeting, dozens of HTA members, parents and Herricks residents are united with other Long Islanders at a Rally for Public Education at Hofstra University. We hope our collective message will open the eyes of our Governor and New York State legislators, as we believe the state budget proposals will have deleterious effects on public education.
The Herricks Teacher’s Association remains committed to this community and that will never waiver. Each of us faces the very same issues in our own communities. The state of affairs in New York is affecting everyone, and the economic hardships being faced are inherent to all of us as Long Islanders.
Craig Lagnese
HTA President
