Message from the President

Board of Education Approves 6% Budget Increase

Thank you to everyone who attended last Monday night’s Board of Education meeting. Your presence and your voices truly mattered. I am pleased to report that The Board of Education unanimously voted to approve the Superintendent’s proposed 6% budget increase.

However, this fight is not over yet. The final step in the budget approval process is a vote by the Board of Aldermen. We will need an even stronger turnout at that meeting, as a 6% increase will likely be a difficult sell. If the budget is reduced below 6%, it would result in additional job losses beyond the 56 positions already proposed to be cut from the district’s budget. For that reason, it is critically important for our school system that this budget increase be approved. 

At this time, the Board of Aldermen meeting has not yet been scheduled. It will likely take place sometime in late April or early May. I will notify everyone as soon as the date is announced so members can attend. I have already asked several aldermen to avoid scheduling the meeting during April vacation.

Here is the Superintendent's Recommended Budget for your reference: FY 2027 Budget

Unfortunately, the FY27 city budget will likely not be approved until after the deadline by which the district must notify teachers whether they will have a position for next year, which presents a problem. In the district’s proposed budget, the Superintendent is recommending the elimination of 26 positions, mostly at the high school level. However, because the district will not know whether the city will approve the recommended budget increase by the time pink slips must be issued, it is likely that the district will lay off more teachers than the 26 positions included in the proposal, potentially as many as 50.

If the 6% budget increase is ultimately approved, many of those teachers could get their positions back through the recall process in late May or June. This situation has occurred before. In fact, it happened to me in 2006. In that year, received a pink slip in April and was recalled in June after the city approved the Board of Education's budget increase.

Timeline

The district is planning on issuing a few nonrenewals this week. These terminations of employment are performance-based, not budget-based. I don't anticipate many of these going out, but if you receive one, please reach out to one of the union representatives, particularly if you are a continuing contract teacher (tenured). The district needs to establish just cause to terminate continuing contract teachers and the NTU is here to make sure your rights are defended. Unfortunately, noncontinuing contract teachers do not have just cause status until they are tenured, so those terminations tend to be difficult to fight. 

After that, the next important week in the RIF process is the week of March 30, 2026. This is the week that I expect the RIFs (pink slips) to go out. These are budgetary, not performance-based. Unfortunately, usually early in their careers, most teachers will be pink slipped at some point, like I was. All I can say to those of you who get one of these is to hold your head up high. This wasn't your fault. It's the fault of our system that doesn't fund schools properly. Furthermore, just because you get one, doesn't mean you won't be back next year. The entire NTU and our friends will advocating for you at the city's budget hearing for that 6% increase, so that some of you might be able to return next year. Also, don't be afraid to ask your colleagues or administrator for a letter of recommendation. In my experience, people will be more than willing to help you out because most of us have been in your shoes at one point or another.  

After that, I am less clear on the timeline but I will share that information with you as soon as I get confirmation from Human Resources. 

Here's the Reduction-in-Force process for teachers:

RIF Process

In my conversations with the Superintendent, it does not appear that any NTU paraeducators will be reduced at this time, as there are currently more than eighteen agency paraeducators filling positions in the district. That said, final decisions will depend on the budget approved by the City.

I am particularly interested in where the proposed clerical reductions may occur. At this point, I do not know whether those reductions involve Schedule I or Schedule II positions. However, I can clarify the process: layoffs occur first through attrition, then among probationary employees, and finally by seniority. Additionally, any secretary designated for layoff will receive at least thirty (30) days’ notice.

This is going to be a difficult few months as we work through the budget process. However, if we show up in strong numbers at the School Board meeting on March 9th, and later at the Board of Aldermen meeting, I believe we can secure the best possible school budget under these challenging circumstances.

Retirement Seminar Moved to Zoom

Recently, I announced that the NTU would be hosting a retirement seminar for NTU members who are eligible for a pension under the NHRS and are looking to retire within the next five years. I expected that we might get thirty or so people who were interested. Instead, ninety people signed up. Although I am thrilled that so many people are interested in this event, there is no way we could host that many people at the NTU Office. And since the NHRS representative will be attending via Zoom anyway, it makes more sense to just hold it virtually anyway. I did ask that they provide me any materials ahead of time so I can share them with the attendees in advance. Here's the Zoom link:

Getting Ready for Retirement

If you are attending this virtual meeting and haven't created an online account yet through the NH Retirement System website, I highly suggest you do so. Here's how to do that as well as some additional information on the NHRS:

NH Retirement System Information  

2026 Scholarship Information Posted

The Scholarship Committee met recently and approved the 2026 scholarship applications. They are due by May 5, 2026. Here's the information:

2026 Scholarship Opportunities 

FYI: I am still waiting for the AFT-NH scholarship opportunities to be posted. 

2026 Spring Election Information

How to Get on the Ballot for the Executive Board and Board of Directors

Questions? Comments? Need Assistance?  Contact a member of the Executive Board

Trying to email Gary? Make sure to use president@nashuatu.org