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With this behind us we can now settle down to business and focus on improving educational outcomes and our failing facilities.

Congratulations to all who helped!

Further, in perhaps a sneak peak of things to come, Mr. Naile suggests if the contract passes on Tuesday, that we should all vote “No” to everything next March at the town level. Essentially encouraging us to pit Firefigher against Teacher.

Who are these people and why are they so interested in our schools?

Claim:  Fitzwilliam School tax increases in December 2008 will be $800 on a $200,000 house.

Reality:  Most of the money $800 was voted and approved in March.  A NO vote will not prevent those tax increases.  A YES vote for the contract accounts for less than 15% of $800.
Claim:  Early retirement cost will continue through 2016.

Reality:  A NO vote will allow more teachers to opt for early retirement.  A NO vote means this will continue past 2016 and cost us more $.

Reality: A YES vote will end the availability of the benefit and restrict it to the current 25 teachers. This will save us $.

Claim:  $4,400,000 for 25 (early retirement) teachers ..is a waste of…money.

Reality:  This statement is for shock value!  It also tries to justify a NO vote by implying these funds will not need to be raised.

Reality:  We have already raised and paid out part of this money.

Reality:  We can’t revoke this benefit.  A YES vote will save us $

Claim:  The “evergreen clause” is now guaranteed by NH State law.

Reality:  House Bill 1436 will not apply to this contract.  A NO vote means we will have to add an “evergreen clause.”  A YES vote means we do not need to add this clause.

Claim:  …taxpayers would have to pick up almost 98% of the (health ins) cost increase

Reality:  Currently teachers pay for 10% of their insurance cost.  A YES vote means the teachers will pay 12% the 1^st yr, 16% the 2^nd yr, 18% the 3^rd yr and 20% the 4^th yr of the insurance cost.  A NO vote means we continue to pay a higher % of their premiums.

Claim:  Average teacher pay in MRSD is $47,402…2^nd highest pay in the Monadnock region.

Reality:  The data they are using is based on area not school district.  For example, Keene at $47,449 Stoddard at $47,844, Chesterfield at $48,804 and Peterborough is listed as part of Hillsborough.

Reality:  Average teacher salary in the state of NH is $48,310 as of 4/16/08.  Our teachers are being paid below average. (http://www.ed.state.nh.us/education/data/staffing.htm)

Claim:  Enrollment as of 10/1/07 in MRSD was 2,052 student; down 436 students in 48 months.

Reality:  As of 4/4/08, 2,240 students were enrolled in the MRSD per the NH Dept of Education (http://www.ed.state.nh.us/education/data/enrollment.htm).   Although we are experiencing a decline, it is not as dramatic as claimed.  2,347 in 2006, 2,375 in 2005, 2,479 in 2004.

Incremental Cost on $200,000 Home*

• Fitzwilliam: $92/yr, $7.66/mo, 25¢/day
• Gilsum: $114/yr, $9.5/mo, 31¢/day
• Richmond: $118/yr, $9.83/mo, 32¢/day
• Roxbury: $60/yr, $5/mo, 16¢/day
• Sullivan: $128/yr, $10.6/mo, 35¢/day
• Swanzey: $136/yr, $11.33/mo, 37¢/day
• Troy: $154/yr, $12.83/mo, 42¢/day
• Cross District Average: $118/yr, $9.80/mo, .32¢/day

Oscar Wilde said “A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing.” On September 9th, lets show our kids that we know what we value.

*Figures from Katie Chambers MRSD Business Manager.

 To The Sentinel:

I am a resident of the Monadnock Regional School District.

I have been researching the issues regarding the special election to make an educated decision.

As part of my research I went to the Web site of the Monadnock School Taxpayers Association (MSTA) and was appalled by the lack of logical consistency, the half truths and the lies the group is promoting.

The group rails against early retirement. If the new contract passes, early retirement will no longer be offered after June 2009.

The budgetary obligation will then decrease each year until it is all gone in 2016. The group misrepresents the financial aspects of not approving the contract in regards to early retirement.

If the contract is passed, the district will save about $2 million. In other words, not passing the new contract will cost the district more money.

As regards the lawsuit by the town of Sullivan pertaining to the legality of early retirement, the MSTA Web states, “A provision in the new contract says that if the new contract passes, the lawsuit is moot.”

This provision does not exist, thus the statement by the MSTA is a lie. The bottom line: If the contract is defeated then early retirement will remain in effect

The MSTA has also stated its opposition to the so-called evergreen clause and the new state law requiring an evergreen clause in contracts with public employees.

As the contract was negotiated and ratified prior to the enacting of the law, the new law would not affect the proposed contract.

If this contract is defeated, the next contract would have to have an evergreen clause as mandated by the state.

In the past, the MSTA has been adamant that teachers pay more of their health care costs.

Currently teachers pay 10 percent of the cost of the insurance policy. If the contract is passed, then over the life of the contract the teacher contribution will increase to 20 percent — exactly what the MSTA has stated it wants.

If the contract is defeated, the teachers stay at 10 percent.

As far as changing insurance carriers, the MSTA fails to disclose that during the time it is talking about, the district saved several hundred thousand dollars by renegotiating the health care contracts.

It also fails to state that all five unions in the school administrative unit must agree to a change in carriers, it is not at the whim of Monadnock district teachers.

Also last March, the MSTA recommended approval of the support staff contract, which contains the same language as the teacher contract regarding changing carriers.

In summary, the MSTA has made clear in the past that to support a teacher contract the new contract must get rid of early retirement, not have an evergreen clause and teachers must shoulder more of the cost of health insurance. The new contract does these things. If the MSTA is successful in helping defeat the new contract, it ensures everything it is against stays in effect.

After reviewing all the data I could obtain, I recommend the voters of the Monadnock district ratify the new teacher contract, as it will benefit our students by helping ensure the district has an experienced, stable work force that knows and understands the needs of our students.

JUDY CLARK
95 Warmac Road
Swanzey

“A New VIsion” was produced, directed, and edited by MRHS senior Evan Barlow, who was so energized by what Mr Pickering said in the interview that he devoted the next 24 hours creating the video.