Chris Peak file photo
Paras Union President Hyclis Williams: Looking for "a decent wage for a modest living."
Paraprofessionals who help run the public school district’s before and after school programming will receive an “extra duty” pay hike of more than $10 per hour for their work this school year.
That’s thanks to a vote taken by the city’s Board of Education Monday night.
The education board members voted unanimously during their latest regular bi-weekly Zoom-assisted meeting to approve an agreement between the board and paraprofessionals union Local 3429.
The agreement increases the “hourly extra duty rate” for New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) paraprofessionals from $14.50 per hour to $25 per hour “for all work performed in connection with before and after school programming for the 2022 – 2023 school year.”
Superintendent Iline Tracey described paraprofessional support staff on Monday as the “linchpin” of the district’s before and after school programming.
The funds for the pay bump will come from the district’s federal pandemic-relief American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) ESSER money. The school district’s spokesperson was not able to provide by the publication time of this article an estimate of how much money this paras pay bump will cost.
The vote comes two weeks after the Board of Education signed off on a new teachers union contract that, if approved by the Board of Alders, will increase teacher pay by nearly 15 percent over the next three years.
Paraprofessionals Union President Hyclis Williams spoke up during Monday’s meeting in support of the pay hike.
Wiliams urged the board to approve the MOA and thanked Tracey for initiating the effort that will stretch through the end of the school year in June.
A similar agreement was passed last year during the school’s summer session. That prior agreement increased union paraprofessionals’ pay from $17.25 to $25 per hour. It also increase part-time para pay to $15 for their support staff work during the summer.
“We want to continue to work in New Haven where most of us live, vote, and pay our taxes. However, we want to be able to afford staying here,” Williams said on Monday. “A decent wage for modest living is all we’re asking for.”
Click here to read more about previous efforts by NHPS paraprofessionals to seek higher pay.
Williams also requested that the board appoint at least one board member to be a part of the upcoming paras’ contract negotiations.
Board member Darnell Goldson asked Tracey Monday night if the pay bump will be retroactive and will compensate paras for their previous before and after school work since the start of the school year.
Tracey said that the pay bump will pay paras for their work supporting the such programming from September of this year through June 30, 2023.
Goldson also asked if the lack of a pay increase has been affecting paraprofessionals’ attendance for before and after school programming.
Tracey responded: “The paras are very helpful in our Saturday academies and I know this past Saturday academy they did not have enough staffing because of this and these are the folks we usually rely on to support these programs so there was an impact.”
In an email response sent to the Independent Tuesday morning, Goldson added: “The MOU is long overdue and happy to see that it is retroactive to the beginning of the school year. Also looking forward to seeing the Superintendent move quickly to do the same for the teachers. The longer she waits to move forward, she will lose the participation of the teachers, which of course will lead to less opportunities for students and parents.”
Jasmine Reed, a paraprofessional at Clinton Avenue also testified Monday to thank the district executive team for proposing the pay increase.
“We are truly thankful,” she said. “As you know we’re working in New Haven. Most of us are living in the community that we’re working in. We want to continue to bless and help our students who live in our community but we can’t continue to go to work everyday and get paid the wages that we’re getting paid. It’s hard to survive.”
“Social security has recently got an increase. Food stamps has gone up. I think we should also see that reflection in our paycheck. We’re just asking for fair living pay,” Reed added.