The union that represents teachers in Baltimore County is delaying a vote on a contract that would increase salaries by an average of 8 percent. The reason is that the school board, the county executive and the county council are in a food fight over how to pay for it. The money for the teacher pay raises is not in the school system’s budget. County Executive Johnny Olszewski nixed the school board’s request to pay for the first year of the raises by transferring $50 million from the school district reserves.
Olszewski called the move fiscally irresponsible because it doesn’t spell out where the money in future years will come from.
Cindy Sexton, the president of the Teachers Association of Baltimore County, said because of that uncertainty, the union delayed a membership vote on the contract. She said the union is sending an open letter to the school board, the county council, and Olszewski saying it wants answers by the school board’s next board meeting Sept. 13.
“So that is our next line in the sand,” Sexton said. “We’ve waited long enough to hear what’s going to happen.”
Sexton said the union’s governing body on Wednesday gave the proposed contract its near-unanimous approval but delayed sending it to the full membership for a vote.
“We know there are concerns about the funding,” Sexton said. “The county executive has made it clear that he wants a five-year plan from the school system on how this is going to be funded.”
Olszewski confirmed that before he will consider using the money from the school system’s reserves, he wants to see a five-year plan “that shows exactly how those long time costs will be covered in future years that is in a sustainable and fiscally responsible way.”
Olszewski said he has told school officials the county is willing to help them pay for the raises, if they are given a detailed plan, although he hastens to add that the county has been giving the school system record funding and more money is expected from the state as well.
“If those local dollars plus projected state increases can get it done, that’s wonderful,” Olszewski said. “We just want to ensure that’s the case, that we’re not on the back end with agreements that are unsustainable and ultimately don’t honor the value of our educators.”
Olszewski sent a letter Wednesday to School Superintendent Darryl Williams with details of what he wants to see in a plan of how to pay for the raises. Olszewski wrote that the projected costs need to include pay increases for substitute teachers and temporary employees. He also ruled out the school system using federal American Rescue Plan Act money to fund salary increases because like the reserves, it’s a one time source of money that can’t be sustained over the years.
Julie Henn, the chair of the Baltimore County School Board, confirmed that discussions are ongoing between the school board, the school system and the county executive and that all parties are committed to reaching an agreement with the union.
When asked what would happen if there is not a satisfactory agreement, Sexton, the head of the union, said they’ll cross that bridge if it comes to that.
“We need to get something settled,” Sexton said.
