KENNEBUNK, Maine — The new school year is starting, and children and educators are returning to the classroom. But in some school districts, teachers are beginning the year without new collective bargaining agreements.
Teacher contract negotiations between RSU 21 schools, which includes Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, and Arundel, and the district teacher's union, Kennebunk, Arundel, and Kennebunkport Education Association (KAKEA), have been ongoing since November of last year.
Maine School Administrative District 51 (MSAD 51), which covers Cumberland and North Yarmouth, is yet another district that will begin the year without a new collective bargaining agreement set in stone.
"Obviously, no employer wants their employees to feel frustrated," RSU 21 school board chair Leslie Stoeffler wrote in an email to NEWS CENTER Maine. "And, like them, we are anxious to have these complicated negotiations behind us so we can focus on our mission of educating our students. Our staff have every right to hold up their signs and express their desires, and the board fully respects their right to do so."
The superintendent of MSAD 51 declined to comment on the matter.
Parent Lindsey Clancy said labor contracts are the last thing teachers should have to worry about.
"Right now, there's so much uncertainty that they have to deal with that they shouldn't have to deal with," Clancy said. "You want them to come to school excited to teach and excited to share their subjects and grow with our kids."
Teachers who work in districts that are still working to come to common ground will continue to work under the terms outlined in their current contracts.
Executive Director of Maine School Management Association (MSMA) Steve Bailey said he believes the fact that the current contract remains intact until a new agreement is made leaves little motivation for everyone involved in negotiations to come to an agreement quickly.
MSMA is a statewide nonprofit that consists of local school boards and superintendents. The nonprofit acts as an advocate for students enrolled in public schools across the state.
Bailey shared that negotiations most often get hung up by two things.
"Lack of agreement, most often, it's having to do with proposed salary schedules or rate of pay for teachers," Bailey said.
Teachers in RSU 21 are fighting for various changes, including a request to be paid for planning time.
Lewiston Public Schools Superintendent Jake Langlais and his school board members withered through a constant back-and-forth process this summer, returning to the negotiation table three times before coming to common ground and approving a collective bargaining agreement with the local union representing teachers.
"I think oftentimes the things that teachers are asking for at the bargaining table aren't unreasonable," Langlais said.
Langlais said he believes lack of resources and lack of money often stand in the way of superintendents and school board members being able to say yes to reasonable asks during negotiations.
"When you're at the negotiating table, if everything is coming down to compensation, a district leader and school committee has to really consider, 'Can we pay for this? Can we afford to fulfill this contract and maintain the support for our kids at the same time?'" Langlais said.
He further explained that he feels like relying on property taxes to cover the bulk of public school budgets isn't substantial. He said the average person's income cannot keep up with yearly increases to school budgets, making fulfilling some requests at the negotiation table nearly impossible to fund.
Bailey said there are a few things that can be done to make negotiation processes go smoother.
"The negotiations process itself could begin earlier," Bailey said. "The other thing is that I think it's really important for both parties to be good and effective listeners to each other."
In an email, Stoeffler further explained that there are steps educators and district leaders can take to put their best foot forward despite ongoing negotiations in the background.
"In my view, we should all remember why we are here in RSU 21," Stoeffler wrote. "The kids will be returning, the buses will be rolling, and the athletic fields will be bustling with activity. I hope we can all draw on this energy and remember that a mediator is working with both parties and the negotiations will settle."