BARRE — In-person meetings — complete with an opportunity for those in attendance to recite the Pledge of Allegiance — are about to make a comeback in the Barre Unified Union School District where there is surplus of residents interested in serving on school board committees, but an alarming shortage of paraeducators.
It is the latter fact that prompted one passionate parent to plead with the School Board to do something — anything — to address an issue Superintendent Chris Hennessey conceded Thursday night has deprived some special needs students of services to which they are entitled under state and federal law.
Tyler Watkins, a parent who volunteers daily in the school system, told the board that is unacceptable and, in his view, avoidable.
“This is not just a ‘small, short-term problem everyone is dealing with,’” Watkins said. “This is a systemic, chronic, self-inflicted and … department head-known problem.”
It is one, Watkins said has persisted throughout the pandemic and won’t be solved by the $1-an-hour pay raise contemplated in the contract negotiated with support staff.
Watkins argued the problem stems from the fact the starting hourly wage for a paraeducator in the three-school Barre district — $15 — is less than what you could earn “flipping burgers at McDonald’s” and considerably less than the $18-an-hour the district pays substitute teachers who have high school diplomas.
Armed with information supplied by the district, Watkins said there are currently at least 13 vacant special education paraeducator positions, which is down one from last year.
During the past two years the district has received 31 applications. Three of those people were hired, another three declined job offers, 22 never followed up and three didn’t meet the district’s minimum qualifications.
During that same period a dozen paraeducators have left the district for reasons ranging from resignations to retirement and a few others have transferred to different positions.
However, Watkins said, no meaningfully progress has been made addressing the issue and his patience is wearing thin.
“I’m honestly beyond tired of hearing excuses disguised as reasons from department heads,” he said.
In a district with a “six-figure surplus” and money budgeted to pay assistant coaches, Watkins said not filling positions that provide crucial services to special needs students cannot continue.
In what he characterized as a “layered solution,” Watkins suggested the district could start by paying more than McDonald’s and, if need be, contracting with organizations like Washington County Mental Health Services, to fill the positions.
Leaning on parent volunteers or even Spaulding High School students would be an improvement and lining up substitutes should be considered.
“If we can pay a substitute teacher without a degree ($18 an hour) to work with entire classrooms of kids, why can’t we pay a substitute paraeducator without a degree ($18 an hour) to work with one or two children within the same classroom?” he asked.
While Watkins acknowledged the terms of the labor agreement might explain the problem, it didn’t excuse it.
“Call the union,” he said, urging the board to explore negotiating a “short-term” pay increase to fill vacancies.
Hennessey said that won’t be necessary because the union has already reached out to the district about the possibility of reopening negotiations. He indicated he is open to the idea, but warned it may not solve what he acknowledged is a significant problem that has had ripple effects on the system and, in some cases, put the district out of compliance when it comes to providing services to students.
“I am concerned that raising pay would not fully address the issue,” he said, suggesting other districts are confronting a similar problem that has been exacerbated by a tight labor market.
Hennessey assured Watkins and the board that the issue is on his radar and filling the vacancies is a priority.
Watkins aired his concerns at the outset of the virtual meeting. However, when board members resume in-person meetings for the first time in more than two years next month, those who want to will be offered the opportunity to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to start the session.
Once a regular staple of the now defunct Barre and Barre Town school boards, School Director Alice Farrell recently suggested reviving the old tradition for the first time since a state-mandated merger in 2019.
Farrell’s request led to a somewhat awkward exchange during which some board members expressed support for the idea, some were uncomfortable and others were ambivalent.
School Director Giuliano Cecchinelli II was among the latter and his suggestion that the board consider a “moment of silence” instead led to a compromise all indicated they could live with.
Those who choose to recite the Pledge of Allegiance will be afforded the opportunity to do so at the start of future meetings and those who prefer what School Director Chris Parker described as “a mindful moment” as a focusing exercise can do that too.
With the exception of last year’s retreat the board hasn’t held an in-person meeting since the start of the pandemic. The return to in-person will be on April 14 at 6 p.m. in the Spaulding High School Library. There will be a virtual option and the recently modified 6 p.m. start time is expected to be the subject of discussion.
Parker and School Director Renee Badeau both indicated an interest in reverting to last year’s 5:30 p.m. start time due to the length of the meetings.
Most of Thursday’s meeting was spent interviewing residents who have expressed interest in being appointed to serve on one of four School Board committees.
The list was long and, in all but one case, will require the district to make choices as it fills newly created seats — one for a Barre resident and another for a Barre Town resident — on each committee.
Though the board conducted the interviews, a question about whether it could go into executive session to discuss the applicants prompted Chair Sonya Spaulding to postpone any action.
Spaulding said she would like to have a private discussion before making a public decision and was willing to wait to determine if the board can actually do that without violating Vermont’s Open Meeting Law.
One way or the other the appointments are expected to be made when the board meets on April 14.
david.delcore @timesargus.com
