MCS teachers seek community support in stalled contract talks
Photo being shared on facebook with a call out to support Manchester Community School teachers. Used with permission.
by Sara Swanson
On Monday, November 18, Manchester High School teacher, Devin Girbach, who also serves as the President of the Manchester Education Association, addressed the Board of Education. Although some in the community were aware of the on-going teacher contract negotiations, many became aware after his statement was shared on social media.
Girbach stated that the contract negotiations are in dire straits and that the Administration recently denied retroactive pay as bargaining stretches into its 8th month. The teachers are asking for the administration to make the district a financially competitive employer, arguing that the current salaries are the lowest in both Washtenaw and Jackson counties. Teachers also assert that senior teachers are paused on their pay scales, and that the combination of low base salaries and paused senior pay increases is contributing to what teachers assert is a startling low teacher retention rate.
The administration pushes back on the statement that Manchester teachers are the lowest paid in the county. They point out that when comparing average salaries, Manchester is not the lowest but actually above the bottom third, ranking 6th out of the 9 public school systems in Washtenaw. The teachers, on the other hand, point to the amount that the district spends on educator salaries per pupil dollar, a category in which Manchester ranks the lowest.
School districts receive money per student from local, state, and federal sources and each district spends a different percentage of their revenue per student on teacher salaries. Manchester spends about 54% of what they receive per student, while, for example, Dexter spends 60% and Chelsea spends 43%. Manchester, however, receives $14,213 total per student from all revenue sources, the lowest revenue per student in Washtenaw County. This is reflected in Manchester having the lowest amount spent per student on teacher salaries in Washtenaw County. While Ann Arbor and Whitmore Lake each spend more than $10,000 per student on teacher salaries, Manchester spends $7,496 per student on teachers salaries. The situation is more complicated than low per-student revenue as Manchester also spends the least on teacher salaries per student when compared with Jackson County Schools and many Jackson County schools have a similar or even lower per-pupil revenue as Manchester has, yet spend more of it on teacher salaries.
High School teacher Brad Gerbe explained why the teachers feel that the dollar amount per student spent on teachers salaries is a better indicator of a district’s commitment to teachers. “This allows for the comparison dollar for dollar with districts, regardless of the district’s size. We think it is a more accurate demonstrator. And when viewed as expenditures per pupil, we [Manchester Community Schools] are indeed last.”
On the topic of salaries, Bezeau added that his salary is by far the lowest superintendent salary in Washtenaw County, with no other superintendent in Washtenaw also serving as building principal for a four year period.
Girbach’s second talking point was that it has been 12 years since the teachers have had an increase to their pay scale.
While a payscale exists that most teachers move up on year to year, and each step comes with a 4% increase, teachers argue that there has been no increase to salaries at the different levels for 12 years and that increase was 1.25%. They also point out that that teachers with a middle amount of seniority enter a stage where they only progress to the next pay step after three years. On top of that, teachers took a step freeze in the mid-2010s when the district finances seemed dire and went many years without progressing up the pay scale.
Superintendent Bezeau stated that the administration is not arguing for a step freeze in this contract, and while sticking with the 4% pay increase for each step, they have agreed to removing the “multi-step” steps. He also pointed out that the school district paid out retention stipends to all teaching staff in 2023 and 2024. He also noted that the administration removed the first step on the salary scale to increase starting salaries for teachers.
Much of the discussion boils down to teacher retention. Both sides acknowledge that the district has hired and lost more than thirty teachers (although there is some variation in who is included in this count) since 2020 and that they have retained zero teachers they hired between 2011 and 2018.
Leslie Rollins, a former Manchester High School teacher and former president of the Manchester Education Association who left this district last summer stated, “35 out of 45 certified staff have left the district since 2020 … The turnover at the high school has been astounding. This high rate of turnover is not good for the students. This community deserves better.” She also points out that 2020 is the year Bezeau was hired as superintendent and added, “People don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad managers.”
Bezeau argues that some of the teaching departures would have happened for usual reasons. He stated, “Of the 38 teaching and administrative departures [during the 5-year period being discussed], 8 of those retired, 5 of those moved to a [different] district to make more money, 4 of those were non-renewed by the district, and 2 of those went on to become administrators, according to exit interviews and self-reporting from departing teaching and administrative staff.” His statement accounted for 19 departures and left 19 departures unaccounted for.
He also points out that the newly hired teachers have brought positive changes, stating, “We have also been able to attract highly qualified and effective teaching and administrative staff as new hires that have changed the culture of our buildings, and the quality of instruction being provided to our students, in a positive manner. For as many staff that have left the district due to unhappy working conditions, there have been just as many current staff that have come to Manchester from other districts, or have stayed in Manchester, to work with current administration and leadership.”
In Girbach’s statement to the School Board, he asked them to use some of the district’s “rainy day fund” (also known as the Pleasant Lake Capital Fund) of around $400,000 to pay teachers. He stated, “Our staff is dying, and continuing to hold on to money for a “rainy day” isn’t going to help. […] It is a rainy day. It’s been raining here for a long time.”
Bezeau explained that the district needs to keep the “Rainy Day Fund” money for something worse than very high teacher turnover. He stated, “This fund is Board of Education approved, and is designated for specific replacement of projects. Not currently having a Sinking Fund for district use for these types of replacements, it is essential to maintain a Capital Projects fund for any unforeseen circumstances and emergencies. Being fiscally responsible and planning for emergency circumstances is something that we will never apologize for.”
Lastly, the teachers and district are in conflict over increased funding per pupil coming from the State of Michigan.
Jeff Irwin, who serves as State Senator for the City of Manchester, Manchester Township, and Bridgewater Township, explained that the State budget was passed with an increase in per pupil (in the form of redirecting schools’ retirement system contributions back to the schools). He stated, “After lengthy negotiations, we were able to pass a budget that aims to raise teacher salaries, and puts more funding into classrooms. With the retirement health care system fully funded sooner than projected, we redirected 5.75% of schools’ retirement system contributions back to the schools themselves. We also provided full relief of the 3% payroll contribution paid by teachers who opted in to the post-employment healthcare system, effectively raising their pay. The changes contained in this budget add up to the equivalent of a 3.9% increase in foundation allowance for community-governed public schools statewide.” What this actually means for Manchester Community Schools, according to Irwin, is “an increase of $283,966 which equates to a 4.07% increase to the foundation allowance or $390.97/pupil.”
The administration states that this will be used by the district to fund the “proposed salary increases in the current negotiations and to cover the loss of revenue due to declining enrollment.” The administration went on to point out that the current student count for this year is fifteen students less than that which was budgeted for, at a loss of $144,120. The administration asserts that this loss has to be accounted for within the amended budget process for the school year, and the potential reductions that have to be made. They also maintain that the state funding increase appears to be a one time amount and not permanent. Irwin corrects this assumption, explaining that this funding increase is just as permeant as if per-pupil funding had been increased and not a one-time amount.
Bezeau also pushed back on the implication that student loss is a direct result of the inability of the district to retain teachers. He states, “There is a common misconception that the Manchester Community Schools are the only surrounding school district that is losing students.” Of the 10 school districts in Washtenaw, only 2 have not had their student population drop over the past 20 years; likewise only 1 district in Jackson County, and 1 in Lenawee. Though Manchester Community Schools has lost more than average, losing 36% of its public school student population over the last 20 years while Washtenaw County overall has lost 15% of student population.
Although when it comes down to it, setting whether or not increasing teachers’ salaries would be better for teacher and student retention and the health of the district, the administration argues that they are restricted in what they can do by the budget. Bezeau states, “The reality for the Board of Education is that we are working with a […] budget for the 2024-2025 school year which would leave us at a fund equity balance of 7.10% forecasted and budgeted. If this fund balance of all expenses were to fall below 5%, Board of Education and State of Michigan processes and interventions would occur to address this position, including potential staff reductions and major cuts to spending. It is recommended that a school district operate with a fund equity balance of approximately 10%, of which we have been able to be fiscally responsible, and to maintain during the past four years.”
After 13 bargaining sessions — including one with a labor mediator from the State of Michigan’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Bezeau states, “We were encouraged with the progress that we made with our last session with the labor mediator, and we look forward to continuing working together with the Education Association to come to an agreement that works for everyone in supporting our students.”
Girbach stated to the School Board, “We [the teachers] are neighbors, friends, coaches, and much more. We are a large part of what drives our community: we are the heartbeat. I’m saddened to say, however, it is a fading one, but you can bring Manchester back to life. Bring back our heartbeat. Make the community strong again. That is why it’s now time to take that next step, and help bring Manchester back. Back to a place where a family can afford to live and work; where we begin to not only draw students from other districts, but families from other towns. … Strengthen our heartbeat, our schools. Make us financially competitive.”
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