Teachers, ed-techs and secretaries press MSAD 51 board for fair ESP contract at packed public comment

Multiple educational support professionals and community members used the meeting's public-comment period to urge MSAD 51's board to prioritize a negotiated contract that raises pay for secretaries and educational technicians (ESP).

Speakers including Kelly Kite (speaker 22), Amber Harrington (speaker 26), Joanna Foster (speaker 27), Luanne Balzano Brooks (speaker 23), Margaret McDevitt (speaker 5) and Jeff Brooks (speaker 29) described the scope of secretarial and ed-tech duties and detailed comparative pay figures. McDevitt said she currently makes $27.07 an hour after 23 years in the district and that a comparable position in neighboring Yarmouth reaches $30.25 per hour in a shorter timeframe. Several speakers said contract negotiations have been unresolved for roughly 250 days.

Speakers asked the board to increase wages to retain experienced staff, to extend proposed percent increases to secretaries as well as teachers and administrators, and to avoid turnover that reduces continuity of student services. Secretaries emphasized responsibilities that include daily safety, attendance and student records management; ed techs highlighted in-class and specialized supports for students with IEPs.

Chair (speaker 1) responded that the board values ESP staff and is negotiating in good faith; the superintendent noted the association had filed for fact-finding and said a neutral panel will meet this month. Board members and administrators acknowledged the request for parity but noted that many compensation elements are bound by collective bargaining and that the fact-finding process is a formal next step.

Next steps: the board said it will continue bargaining, the fact-finding panel will convene this month, and the budget review process will consider the district's ability to fund increases in the context of FY27 budget drivers.