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Tuesday, August 28, 2007 • BY JOHN MOONEY • Star-Ledger Staff

In an early barometer of teacher contract talks and school spending as a whole, new pacts so far include salary hikes averaging more than 4.5 percent for this year, according to groups on both sides of the bargaining table.

At least half of the state's 200-plus districts with expired contracts remain in talks to work out new agreements, a typical number for late summer. No impending strikes or severe job actions are expected for the start of school next week.

Of those that have been settled, the newest contracts show raises stabilizing in the mid-to-high 4 percent range, if not creeping slightly higher.

Even though this is well down from the raises that neared double-digits in the late 1980s and 1990s, it's certain to run up against the state's new 4 percent spending cap on districts, not to mention the political rhetoric out of Trenton that's pressing for tighter controls on school spending to help contain property taxes.

"The property tax debate certainly has its impact, but I don't think you'll see teacher raises tamped down to nothing," said Michael Yaple, a spokesman for the New Jersey School Boards Association. "Rarely do you see dramatic changes within a year."

By the association's count, the statewide average raise this year will be 4.6 percent for all districts, and 4.63 percent for the newest contracts it has seen so far. The New Jersey Education Association put the average raise this year at 4.65 percent statewide, and up to 4.82 percent for the nearly 50 new contracts it has reviewed.

"This is the range we have been hovering in, from 4.6 to 4.8 percent," said Steve Baker, a spokesman for the NJEA. "It's such a small (range) at this point it's too hard to make much significance of it, but we see it at least moving in the right direction."

School boards officials also stressed other provisions of teacher contracts that they said will help keep down overall costs. They said half of all contracts now have some controls on health benefit costs, such as increased employee contributions, and almost a quarter include longer school days or years.

Sayreville was among those reaching tentative agreement with its teachers this summer. Although salary terms have yet to be disclosed, one official said the contract aims to address the district's need to attract and retain teachers.

"Each negotiation is very different," said Kevin Ciak, a Sayreville school board member who is also president of the state school boards association. "You can't just look at a single (salary) number in determining what the property tax impact will be."

Ciak said there was agreement at the table that the financial and political pressures on districts will only mount.

"I think both sides will acknowledge that they don't see it getting any better," he said. "There was the state aid increase this year for the first time in five years, but if that doesn't continue, the entire amount will come from local taxpayers."

Gov. Jon Corzine's office yesterday played down the salary increases so far and pointed to broader gains statewide in trying to reduce public employees' health care and pension costs, starting with the governor's own recent settlement with state workers' unions.

"He believes that package will serve as a model for governmental entities across the state, helping them come in under the 4 percent cap and thereby addressing one of the prime drivers of property tax increases," said Corzine spokesman Brendan Gilfillan.

Still, the approved contracts represent only half of all pacts to be negotiated this year, with much of the bargaining expected to pick up in the fall once the school year begins, officials said.

In Essex County, all nine districts with outstanding contracts are still at the bargaining table. Eleven of 19 are still negotiating in Morris County, and nine of 12 are still in talks in Hunterdon County.

The good news for students and their families is that few appear at critical impasses that could lead to strikes or disruptive job actions anytime soon. NJEA officials said six districts statewide are at the fact-finding stage that is a step away from the more urgent "super-conciliation" process, considered the last resort.

They include Springfield in Union County and Boonton Town in Morris County. The others are Greenwich Township in Cumberland County, Springfield in Burlington County, and Salem County Vocational Schools and Elsinboro schools in Salem County.

Teacher raises hover above 4% as talks continue statewide

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