K-L Board, Union Back Insurance Change, Retirement Plan

While the Katonah-Lewisboro school board and the school district's teachers' union have yet to agree to a new contract to replace the current one that will expire on June 30, both sides are backing changes to the existing deal that includes notable compensation differences.

The addendum, which can also be added to a new deal, was backed Thursday night by the board in a unanimous vote, which in turn allows Superintendent Paul Kreutzer to sign it. The union, the Katonah Lewisboro District Teachers Association (KLDTA), approved the agreement earlier in the day. The union is one of three for employees in the school district.

Under the terms of the memorandum there will be a switch from a self-insured health insurance plan to one that is more traditional in nature, which will be delivered by the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP). Lipton noted that the change will save the district millions of dollars annually once it is fully implemented, and with “significant savings” for the coming school year.

The contract language between the district and the KLDTA that supported a self-insured plan was established about two decades ago, according to a press release from the district, because at the time it was projected to be cheaper, something that is no longer the case.

The insurance change will also help to bring down the per-pupil cost to the district, Lipton stated, which would bring it into line with other school districts.

The other part of the addendum involves a cash incentive for early retirements. It calls for paying $17,500 in cash to union members who are eligible to retire between May 10, 2013 and June 30, 2015, and have at least 15 years of service in the district. The district expects, based on early estimates, to save roughly $32,500 per employee who accepts the plan. The district's release also states that retirements will help younger teachers keep their jobs in the district.

“This action may help reduce the pace of our layoffs and will help lower our cost per students and bringing them more into line with neighboring districts,” Lipton said about the agreement.

“The memorandum provides practical solutions to one of the district's largest financial challenges and demonstrates our shared commitment to work together amicably in the interests of the entire community,” said KLDTA President Sandra Grebinar in a statement from the district. “We want to continue to work productively with district officials and the Board to preserve the district's instructional quality in the face of these serious financial challenges.”

The issue of union contract talks has been a big issue for Katonah-Lewisboro this school year. A group of families have supported an online petition, with the title of Forward Together KLSD, which pushes for negotiating labor contracts that it calls “sustainable” and to join a purchasing consortium for healthcare benefits. The petition has received more than 800 signatures.

Board Vice President Charles Day, who said the agreement is “unquestionably a good financial deal” for the district, felt that the agreement does not go far enough in helping the district financially.

“It illustrates that we're starting to make some progress in collaborating with each other but by no means do I think that this is enough.”

Day argued that teachers who can accept the deal would have retired anyway in the next three years, that a similar deal a few years ago offered a smaller cash amount and that it is not possible to figure out the savings from the plan since it is unknown which teachers would be incentivized by it. Day was supportive about changing insurance plans, but appeared wary of there not being a new deal.