Marlboro’s Board of Education is scheduled to meet today as the district marks more than 150 days since the expiration of the Marlboro Faculty Association’s contract. The stalemate has become increasingly public. Last week, ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, the Board issued a detailed statement outlining its position and confirming that negotiations have reached an impasse after the MFA declared the process “done” on November 18.
At the November 20 Board meeting, MFA President Sarah Santora criticized the district’s handling of contract talks. She argued that the Board has not made the teacher agreement a priority, contrasting the lack of progress for faculty with recent administrative salary decisions. Santora cited the Superintendent’s contract extension, which included a 3 percent increase and brings his cumulative raise to 18 percent over six years, alongside four central administrative contracts that she said resulted in approximately 9 percent increases and additional retirement incentives. “Respect is making the teachers’ contract a priority,” she said, noting that the MFA has received 6.75 percent in total raises over its last five-year agreement and no increase this fiscal year.
The Board’s written statement disputes the MFA’s characterization of recent administrative raises and emphasizes the district’s financial constraints. The Board says central office administrators received 2.25 percent, not 9 percent, and do not receive step increases. The BOE also argues that teacher compensation at Marlboro remains competitive regionally, citing data showing top-step salaries and longevity payments ranking at or near the top of comparable districts in Orange and Ulster Counties. The district reported that longevity payments total $1.3 million this year, though the MFA contends that figure represents 79 educators with more than 1,700 combined years of service.
The two sides also diverge on whether teachers are “working without a contract.” The MFA uses this phrasing to underscore the prolonged absence of a negotiated agreement. The Board counters that the Triborough Amendment keeps all provisions of the expired contract in effect, including step increases, benefits, working conditions, and graduate-credit payments. According to the district, this continuation resulted in an average 3.1 percent salary increase for teachers on steps 1 through 18 this year.
Fiscal concerns form the backdrop of the dispute. The Board argues that rising costs, state-mandated restrictions, and stagnant revenues require a compensation plan that is sustainable for taxpayers. District officials say they have asked the MFA to provide financial models supporting its proposals and to demonstrate how they can be funded without significant tax increases or cuts to academic, athletic, or arts programs. The Board maintains that the MFA has not supplied that data. The MFA, in turn, argues that teachers’ raises have not kept pace with inflation and that recent administrative increases call into question the district’s budget priorities.
The contract impasse comes at a time when school districts across the region are facing similar pressures. In neighboring New Paltz, the Board of Education continues to evaluate whether to close buildings as two of the district’s four schools operate below 50 percent capacity.
Tonight’s Board of Education meeting will be held Thursday, December 4, at 7 PM in the Town of Marlborough Court Room at 21 Milton Turnpike. Interested members of the public are encouraged to attend.
Leave a Reply