School Committee

 

 

 

 

 

School Committee Policies

Holliston Public Schools - Collective Bargaining 2020-21 

In response to questions from the community about the status of the collective bargaining process with Holliston Federation of Teachers (HFT), below is an update of the collective bargaining process. We cannot share specific information from negotiations but want to update on the process so far and the status of negotiation. We are hopeful to come to an agreement before June 30, 2021.

This spring, the parties have been engaged in mediation to resolve the contract.  While the Committee cannot share details of the mediation sessions, at our last mediation session on May 5, 2021, the parties came very close to settling the contract.  In fact, the parties reached a tentative agreement on compensation.  However, the parties were unable to agree on removing one underutilized item from the contract that would have allowed additional resources to be made available to compensate all educators.

By law, the School Committee is required to return to the town any  remaining appropriation funds in the fiscal year (FY) 2021 budget, including funds that could be used for FY21 salary increases, unless there is a binding contract in place on or before June 30, 2021.  The School Committee remains hopeful that an agreement can be reached prior to June 30, 2021. 

The Process to Date:

• January - March 2020 - The School Committee and HFT participated in Interest Based Bargaining (IBB) negotiating sessions.

• March 12, 2020 - Both parties reach a Tentative Agreement to be voted on by the HFT membership and full School Committee.

• May 5, 2020 -The HFT reported that they voted to ratify the Tentative Agreement.

• May 6, 2020- the Holliston School Committee does not ratify the Tentative Agreement 

• August 2020 -  Negotiations recommence with sessions in August, September, October, and November.

• November 2020- The HFT requests mediation and the School Committee agrees..  

• January 2021- Both parties met again with proposals but could not reach agreement, and the parties filed for mediation.

• February 23, 2021- A mediator is assigned. 

• March 29, 2021 - initial mediation session.

• April 28, 2021 - second mediation session. 

• May 5, 2021- At the third mediation session, a tentative agreement on compensation is reached but the parties disagree regarding the redundant item that would need to be eliminated to maximize teacher compensation.

• May 20,2021 - The mediator notifies the parties that he has filed his report with the Department of Labor Relations, recommending that the parties move to non-binding Fact Finding.

• May 26, 2021 - Holliston School Committee sends letter to HFT Union Representative, asking that he share it with the entire HFT Teachers unit.  The letter states that by MA Gen Law, the School Committee is required to return any unspent money to the Town if the parties do not have a binding contract by June 30, 2021. 

• May 28, 2021 HSC attorney submits a list of fact finders to DLR.

• June 3, 2021 - Members of the public request an update during public comment. 

• June 10, 2021 - HSC updates process with new members.

 
 

Holliston Public Schools - Guide to Collective Bargaining 

In 2020, the School Committee began bargaining with Holliston Federation of Teachers: Teachers unit (HFT) for a successor contract.  The following information is provided as context for the negotiation process. 

Primer on the Collective Bargaining Process

Collective bargaining in the public sector is governed by Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 150E.

Massachusetts law permits public employees who are not confidential or managerial to collectively bargain but expressly prohibits public employees from engaging in a strike including a work slowdown. 

The Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations (DLR) provides an overview of the collective bargaining process. Some key points to Collective Bargaining:

 

What is collective bargaining?

Collective bargaining is the mutual obligation of employers’ and employees’ representatives to meet at reasonable times and confer in good faith with respect to wages, hours, standards of productivity and performance, and other terms and conditions of employment, or the negotiation of an agreement, or a question arising under an agreement.

 

Must an employer negotiate with representatives of the bargaining unit?

Yes. The employer and exclusive bargaining representative must, upon demand, negotiate in good faith with respect to wages, hours, standards of productivity and performance, and other terms and conditions of employment. No public employer may exempt itself from the operative provisions of the law.

 

Is either side required to agree?

No. But both sides must bargain in good faith, and either reach agreement or impasse.

 

What are the next steps if an agreement is reached during bargaining?

Agreements reached by union and management representatives at the bargaining table must be brought back to the union membership for a ratification vote and to the school committee as a whole for approval. Members of the bargaining teams for the union and for management are legally required to vote in favor of the agreement that they reached during bargaining.

 

The School Committee’s Role in Collective Bargaining

The School Committee is the employer for purposes of collective bargaining with school unions. Generally, the School Committee will select one or two members as the bargaining team for each union.  For purposes of collective bargaining, a municipal representative, such as the Town Administrator, can participate and vote with the school committee and may be appointed by the school committee to serve on the bargaining team. Collective bargaining agreements cannot exceed three (3) years.

 

Mandatory Subjects of Bargaining

Wages/ Salaries	Hours	Conditions of Employment
Standards of Productivity	Process for Performance Evaluations	Benefits, i.e. personal leave, sick leave
Health Insurance	Breaks	Stipends

 

Additional Considerations: 

The School Committee may set long-term as well as short-term goals for bargaining.  The goal of preserving good employer/employee relationships is important and must be balanced against the availability of funds and the needs of students, the general public, and the community. The School Committee’s main responsibility is to ensure that students receive the highest quality education as well as the services they need to succeed. Decisions on contract terms must ensure that the administration’s right to manage and to fulfill other School Committee goals and state mandates is preserved.

A recommended operating budget for Holliston Public Schools is determined each year by the School Committee in close consultation with the Superintendent of Schools and the Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations.. The Committee also works with the Town Administrator, Select Board, and Finance Committee to understand revenue and expenses throughout the town in order to make responsible judgments about the appropriate level of school budget. For more information on the HPS School Operating Budget Overview and Process, click here. 

 

FAQs

 

Who does the teachers’ association represent?

 

Holliston Federation of Teachers: Teacher unit consists of all classroom teachers, program heads with teaching assignments, media librarians/digital learning specialists, learning specialists, guidance counselors, school social workers, special education teachers, speech and language therapists, Board Certified Behavioral Analysts with DESE license, and registered school nurses. Members do not include paraprofessionals (Instructional Assistants), administrators, secretaries, custodians, nutrition services staff, OT/PTs, and other employees.

 

Who is on the negotiating team for the Holliston School Committee? 

As of May 26, 2021 Stacey Raffi, represents the School Committee with support from Superintendent Dr. Susan Kustka, Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations, Keith Buday, and Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Dr. Peter Botelho. Two former Holliston School Committee members, Andy Morton and Anne Louise Hanstad represented the School Committee until their terms ended. The negotiating team is represented in negotiations by an attorney from the law firm of Murphy, Hesse, Toomey, & Lehane, LLP

 

Who is on the negotiating team for the Holliston Federation of Teachers (HFT)? 

 

Jamie Cutone, Doug Lack, Renee Popek, Greg White, and  Murray Gallster. The HFT’s negotiations team traditionally has been joined in negotiations by a representative from the American Federation of Teachers, (AFT), a statewide organization that provides support and legal representation to member unions.

 

What is the timeline for negotiations? 

The current collective bargaining agreement with the HFT Teachers unit expired on August 31, 2020. The School Committee and the HFT Teachers unit began negotiations in January, 2020.

 

What is the process of negotiations?

• At the beginning of negotiations, the School Committee and the HFT historically have agreed upon ground rules to guide the negotiations.

• After ground rules are agreed upon, each party presents a list of proposals that include changes that they wish to make in the existing contract, including adjustments to salary and benefits. These items are discussed through a series of negotiations meetings.

• When the parties reach agreement, that agreement is subject to ratification by the union membership and approval by the full school committee, including the municipal representative.  After ratification and approval, the agreement becomes effective.

• For this particular contract (Fiscal Year 2020_2023), both parties agreed to Interest Based Bargaining (IBB).  Through the IBB process, parties proactively identify durable solutions to outcomes at the bargaining table. Agreements are based on mutual and individual interests rather than positions. This ap- proach emphasizes problem solving and enables mutual gain outcomes.

 

What happens if the parties can’t reach an agreement?

Mediation: If the parties bargain in good faith but are unable to reach agreement after a reasonable period of negotiation, the parties are at “impasse.”  At that point, either party or both parties acting jointly may petition the Department of Labor Relations (DLR) for a determination of the existence of an impasse. The DLR then assigns a mediator to assist the parties in reaching an agreement. The role of the mediator is to facilitate an agreement.  Agreements reached in mediation are subject to ratification by the union membership and approval by the school committee, including the management representative.

Fact finding: If mediation is unsuccessful, the next step in resolving an impasse is fact-finding.  The parties select a factfinder from a list provided by the DLR. 

• The factfinder holds a hearing(s) where the parties present their proposals, positions, and information, including relevant data about the District’s resources and comparable districts. 

• The factfinder then issues a confidential report with findings of fact.  This report may or may not include recommendations. 

• The parties receive copies of the report and are required to return to negotiations informed by the report. 

• If the parties do not reach agreement within ten days from the issuance of the report, the DLR will release the report to the public.  If the parties are still unable to reach agreement, the employer informs the DLR, which either sends the parties back to mediation or finds the employer has satisfied its bargaining obligations, which permits the employer to implement its last best on the record offer.

 

Can the HFT strike if no agreement is reached? 

No, it is against the law for public employees in Massachusetts to strike.  Massachusetts General Laws chapter 150E section 9A provides:

• (a) No public employee or employee organization shall engage in a strike, and no public employee or employee organization shall induce, encourage, or condone any strike, work stoppage, slowdown, or withholding of services by such public employees.

• (b) Whenever a strike occurs or is about to occur, the employer shall petition the commission to make an investigation. If, after investigation, the commission determines that any provision of paragraph (a) of this section has been or is about to be violated, it shall immediately set requirements that must be complied with, including, but not limited to, instituting appropriate proceedings in the superior court for the county wherein such violation has occurred or is about to occur for enforcement of such requirements.

 

What happens if a teachers’ union goes on strike?

The law requires that “[a]ny employee who engages in a strike shall be subject to discipline and discharge proceedings by the employer.”  (See G.L. chapter 150E, section 15.) 

If a union were to go on strike, the DLR will order the union to cease the strike and employees to return to work.  If the union does not comply with the DLR’s order, the DLR will seeks judicial enforcement of its order.  Failure to comply with a judicial order subjects the union to contempt charges and large fines. 

 

  2021-2022      2020-2021     2019-2020     2018-2019     2017-2018     Past Years

Policy Subcommittee 

• Catherine Savard - Chair
• Amanda Bigelow
• Stacey Raffi

Budget Subcommittee 

• Lisa Kocian - Chair
• Cynthia Listewnik
• Dawn Neborsky

Communications Subcommittee 

• Dawn Neborsky - Chair
• Amanda Bigelow
• Lisa Kocian

Superintendent’s Evaluation Subcommittee 

• Stacey Raffi - Chair
• Catherine Savard
• Minnie Gupta

District Culture/ Anti-Bullying Task Force

• Amanda Bigelow
• Minnie Gupta
• Cynthia Listewnik

HFT/Teacher Negotiations

• To Be Determined

HFT/Secretaries Negotiations

• To Be Determined

Policy Subcommittee Minutes    Budget Subcommittee Minutes

Wellness Council 

• Lisa Kocian

HHS Guiding Coalition

• Anne Louise Hanstad
• Cynthia Listewnik 

Holliston PTO 

• Elementary  -  
• MS/HS - Stacey Raffi
• PTO Board -

Special Education Parents Advisory Council (SEPAC) 

• Lisa Kocian

Holliston Athletic Boosters Association (HABA) 

• Dawn Neborsky
• Anne Louise Hanstad

Holliston Music and Arts Parents Association (HMAPA)  

• Cynthia Listewnik
• Anne Louise Hanstad

Watch the video: School Committee Meeting, Oct. 10, 2019
(Courtesy of Holliston Cable Access Television)

Watch the video: School Committee Meeting, Jan. 19, 2017
(Courtesy of Holliston Cable Access Television)

Over the past decade, the levels of stress and anxiety reported by Holliston High School and Middle School students have become a top concern. In 2015, the Superintendent’s Task Force on Student Stress was formed to take a close look at what could be done to better support the social-emotional health of our students. As part of that study, a survey indicated that most middle school students (55 percent) and the vast majority (74 percent) of High School students reported not getting enough sleep. Because sleep experts have shown that the natural sleep cycle of adolescents runs about two hours later than both adults and young children, there has been a push across the country to move start times later for older students. Armed with both research and first-hand accounts from students, the Task Force named a change in start times as one of its top recommendations when it finalized its report in 2016.

 

With the work of the Task Force complete, the recommendations were given to the School Committee for further action. The School Start Time Subcommittee, made up of three members of the School Committee, began its work by examining the wealth of research on the optimal sleep cycles of teens and on the specific recommendation to better align the start times of middle and high schools to that optimal sleep cycle. This work was driven by the overwhelming evidence that making that change would result in improvements in our students’ physical health and safety (reduced rates of motor vehicle crashes due to “drowsy driving” and increased levels of physical activity); mental health and behavior (reduced risk for anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation, increased motivation and reduced vulnerability to stress); and academic and student performance (improvements in academic performance and school attendance and a decreased drop-out rate).

 

The Subcommittee learned through its research that re-aligning start times brought with it some significant challenges, particularly in the areas of scheduling after-school sports and activities and the impact that any change would have on school bus transportation, community traffic patterns, before- and after-school child care and family routines. Most of these impacts are unique to the community and required considerable study and analysis before determining the best course of action for Holliston.

 

Phase I - Fall 2016 through Fall 2018 

Recognizing that there are a number of factors that are unique to Holliston and unalterable (the geography and traffic patterns of our community, and the location and grade-structure of our schools) , the Subcommittee developed three scenarios that would account for those factors and, at the same time, provide for a moderate adjustment to our middle and high school start times. The cost factors (related to transportation) were also reviewed. School administrators were interviewed and shared their feedback on the scenarios under consideration.

 

In May 2017, the Subcommittee issued a comprehensive survey to students, staff, and parents and compiled and analyzed those survey results over the course of fall 2017. On November 28, 2017, the Subcommittee presented a summary of their work to the Holliston School Committee and the School Committee asked the Subcommittee to continue to explore this topic with an understanding that any changes, if any, to school start times resulting from this study would be implemented NO EARLIER than the 2019-2020 school year. During the Winter and Spring of 2018, the Subcommittee worked with the Administration in an effort to develop a plan to implement the preferred scenario.  In the Fall of 2018, the Subcommittee reported that the preferred scenario (which called for Miller and Placentino Schools to open at the same time) was not feasible, as the elementary campus was physically unable to safely accommodate the car and bus traffic that a simultaneous dismissal would generate. In addition, the parent/community survey results indicated that parents strongly opposed any diversion of funds from programs or an increase in fees to accommodate any changes in school start times (i.e. an override).

 

Phase II - Winter 2018 to Spring 2019

The Subcommittee went back to the drawing board with a renewed commitment to finding a scenario that would adjust start times for our older students while remaining cost-neutral.  After brainstorming options, the Subcommittee decided to bring forward an option that would switch the HS/MS start/end times with the Miller start/end times. The Subcommittee developed and issued a second survey to all parents and reviewed the results of the survey with the School Committee at its May 16, 2019 meeting.  The School Committee has subsequently voted to change the start dates of the Holliston Public Schools, effective the start of the 2020-2021 school year as follows:

 

Current School Times	Revised New Times Effective 2020-21 School Year	Change
HHS 7:30 AM – 2:03 PM	HHS 8:10 AM – 2:43 PM	40 minutes LATER
Adams 7:30 AM – 1:53 PM	Adams 8:10 AM – 2:33 PM	40 minutes LATER
Miller 8:10 AM – 2:33 PM	Miller 7:30 AM – 1:53 PM	40 minutes EARLIER
Placentino 8:50 AM – 3:15 PM	Placentino 8:50 AM – 3:15 PM	No change

 

Phase III - Summer 2019 to August 2020 - Planning for Implementation 

With the decision made, the effort shifts to planning for the new start times.  Of primary importance is addressing the concerns expressed by some Miller parents regarding the impact this change would have on their need for before- and/or after-school care for their Miller students and the concerns expressed by some Miller parents that this change would require their children to wait for the bus before sun up during the winter months.  The Superintendent and Director of Holliston’s Extended Day program will develop a survey to administer to all Miller and Placentino parents in September 2019 to determine the level of community need in this area. Equipped with this information, the Superintendent will work with our Extended Day program and private providers to meet any increased demand caused by this change.  At the High School and Middle School, administrators and teachers will also work to minimize the impact of the new start times on the after-school extra-curricular and athletic programs.  

 

Update: December 2019

At their December 12th meeting, the Holliston School Committee unanimously voted (with one member absent) to reaffirm and move forward with the plan they previously approved in May 2019, to adjust the school hours for the Holliston Public Schools as follows:

• HHS: 8:10 AM – 2:43 PM
• RAMS: 8:10 AM – 2:33 PM
• Miller: 7:30 AM – 1:53 PM
• Placentino: 8:50 AM – 3:15 PM

Originally approved in May, these revised school hours generated concerns among some parents in the community. In response, the School Committee engaged with these concerned parents and held a public forum that outlined the science behind the changes and offered people the opportunity to ask the Committee and Superintendent Jackson questions about the change. An open debate also took place at October Town Meeting.

 

Following these events as well as numerous meetings that individual Committee members held with concerned parents, the Committee reviewed a set of 10 proposed alternative start times scenarios proposed by this group of concerned parents. At their November meeting, the School Committee publicly reviewed each proposed scenario and concluded that eight of the ten proposed scenarios were untenable and removed those proposals from further consideration. The Committee then directed the administration to review the remaining two scenarios and report back to the Committee on their impact and viability.

 

At their December 12th meeting, the Committee reviewed the comprehensive analysis prepared by the administrative team and agreed with their conclusion that the drawbacks associated with either scenario were significant, making both remaining alternative solutions unviable. Following that discussion, the Committee unanimously voted to reaffirm their originally voted plan.

 

With this decision reaffirmed, parents and staff are strongly urged to begin planning for the impact that these changes could have on your individual family routines.  At the same time, Holliston administrators will begin finalizing the detailed plans needed to implement these new school hours. In addition, the School Committee and Superintendent will discuss the process we will use to collect the impact of these changes and how we will use that data to see if refinements of this plan are needed in future years.  

 

In addition to planning already under way at each school, the administration has already reported that they have a plan to open up a number of spots in our Extended Day program next school year to meet the anticipated demand for additional before and after-school care  Holliston Extended Day is also planning to offer an 80-minute “gap” program to cover the time between the dismissal of Placentino students and Miller students, so that siblings might be picked up together. The Holliston Extended Day program will formally announce the availability of their options later this winter and share sign-up information.  Further, the Committee reached out to the “Y” in Hopkinton regarding availability in their program for after-school care and that effort is showing promise. Interested parents should contact the YMCA directly if they wish to learn more about their after-school programs. Finally, the School Committee has authorized a transportation audit to see if we can find ways to make our bus system more efficient and/or convenient. The administration will share the results of this audit with the School Committee at one of their upcoming meetings as soon as the review has been completed.

 

Update – March 2020

Implementation Planning is proceeding well, with significant progress on a number of fronts:

1. Extended Opportunities for After-School Care – The Holliston Extended Day Program has finalized its planning for the 2020-2021 School Year, including a new Bridge Program for Miller students that will begin at 1:53PM and end at the end of the Placentino day, which remains unchanged from today’s ending time (3:15PM). Information on the Extended Day Program can be found here. In addition, the YMCA has surveyed the community and concluded that there is sufficient interest in providing additional after-school programming in Holliston. Information on their new programs can be found on their website.
    
2. Transportation Study – The external consultant has begun his review of our bus transportation system, looking for efficiencies that, if the improvements are substantial enough, could result in small adjustments to the times when Miller bus routes would begin. We expect a report from the consultant to be available in mid-April, in time to incorporate any recommendations into the final planning of the bus routes for the Fall of 2020.
    
3. Impact Study – At the direction of the School Committee, the Superintendent will be conducting a quantitative study of several wellness and education-related factors to help the Committee assess the impact of the change in school start times. The factors that will be reviewed are: anxiety, depression, sleep habits, homework habits and student attendance/tardies. Data will be collected either directly from students or from parents through one or more surveys. Baseline data will be collected before this April vacation and post-implementation data will be collected during the same week in 2021. Information on the specifics of the surveys can be found here. All parents will be notified prior to the administration of the survey and will be given the option to exclude their child from the survey process.