Oneonta School Board Enters Impasse with Clerical Union, Hears Concerns Over LTA Pay

By BRANDON RAUL RAMIREZ
SUNY Institute for Local News
ONEONTA

The Oneonta City School District and its clerical union have declared an impasse after the union rejected four district contract proposals, Superintendent Thomas Brindley told the Board of Education at its September 9 meeting.

The proposals would have raised salaries for the average district clerical employees by 22.8 percent to 30 percent over three- or four-year terms. Three included a 2 percent increase in employee health insurance contributions, while the fourth proposed a 22.8 percent increase over four years with no change in health insurance contributions.

Brindley said the impasse process could last several weeks or several months because there is no established timeline for resolution. A mediator will review comparative regional salary data before a “cooldown” period begins. No mediator had been assigned as of the meeting, though Brindley said the parties could still reach an agreement and end the impasse. The district receives labor relations services through ONC BOCES, but the process could carry additional costs.

The board discussed the negotiations after returning from an executive session on collective bargaining. Brindley said he remained confident that the district and clerical unit would continue working toward a resolution.

Two community members also urged the district to address pay and working conditions for long-term teaching assistants, or LTAs.

Andrew Eggler, of Fonda Avenue, raised concerns about pay equity among long-term substitutes. He said a newly hired LTA had been brought on at a salary roughly $10,000.00 higher than what other LTAs receive. Eggler said that when he previously asked to negotiate his own salary, he was told it was not possible because LTAs are covered under a bargaining agreement. He asked the district to explain how the new employee’s compensation was established.

Karen Moran, of Chestnut Street, said she worked as an LTA for 23 years before retiring and returned to the district last year after about a decade away. She said the student population has grown “much more violent,” noting that her daughter is routinely bitten or hit in her classroom. Moran asked whether the district should consider additional “combat pay” for LTAs to aid recruitment.

The board took no immediate public action on the comments. Under district meeting procedures, board members generally do not respond during the public-comment period, with follow-up handled by the appropriate administrator.

Transportation staffing was another focus. The board approved a new full-time driver/mechanic position, a 40-hour, 12-month Civil Service role intended to ease a shortage of substitute drivers. Officials said the district mechanic and safety compliance officer has had to cover daytime bus routes. Full-time driver Brian Quintana Diaz resigned from that position but was appointed as a substitute driver.

Officials said daily ridership, historically about 900 students, has returned to normal levels. The district plans to use the MyRide K-12 app and bus-tracking tablets to confirm ridership earlier next year. Four new buses have arrived but are awaiting state inspection.

The board also approved certified and noncertified Personnel Memorandum 2026-13. The actions included the November 30 retirement of longtime teaching assistant Suzanne Hammond-Moore, the appointment of six substitutes, and the designation of Abigail Losie, Amber Wiltsie, Melinda Murdock, and Joseph Ballard as lead evaluators under the district’s annual professional performance review process.

In a facilities update, Brindley said library projects at Greater Plains and Riverside schools were not yet operational because manufacturer backlogs delayed millwork. Contractors received access to the spaces several weeks before the previous school year ended, and completion is now expected in late December or January. Auditorium renovations remained on track for late December.

Business Manager Kellie Renwick told the board that the Town of Oneonta’s total property assessment increased by approximately $90 million, shifting a larger share of the school tax burden to town property owners and easing the share paid by city property owners. In addition, the board approved cross-contracts with South Kortright, Stamford, and Charlotte Valley central schools, a natural-gas agreement, and a transition services contract with The Arc Otsego.

The district also remains without an athletic trainer after its provider, Bassett Healthcare, lost its longtime practitioner to retirement. Until a replacement begins, injured student-athletes must see their own physicians, while student accident insurance remains in place.

This story was created by student reporters through the OnNY Community Media Lab, a program of SUNY Oneonta and the SUNY Institute for Local News.