Members of the Scarborough Education Association said the group never agreed to a 0-percent cost-of-living raise, contrary to public statements by the Board of Education, and that teachers and other school staff could soon be operating without a contract.

In a letter to the Current’s editor, the association said it never agreed to the Board of Education to freeze salaries for next year.

“In the course of contract negotiations, we were certainly willing to discuss a 0-percent increase, but it was linked to other contractual terms,” the letter, written by negotiation team co-chairs Paul Ledman and David O’Connor, stated.

The Scarborough Education Association represents about 300 non-administrative school employees including teachers, bus drivers and custodians.

In April, Board of Education member Jackie Perry told the board and the Town Council she was “happy” association had agreed to forgo cost-of-living wages for next year to help the town save money.

That 0-percent increase was built into the 2009-2010 school budget of $35.1 million. Scarborough voters validated that budget in May.

On Monday, however, Perry said she was wrong in telling the public the association had agreed to the wage freeze and that it was a miscommunication between her and the association.

“I misinterpreted what the teachers had said about accepting the 0-percent increase because it was based on conditions,” Perry said. “The Board had not agreed to the conditions and when we had made public that the teachers had agreed to the 0 percent, I thought the teachers had given me permission to do that.”

The 0-percent increase had been discussed, but since other conditions have not been met, there is no contract, said Scarborough Assistant Superintendent Andrew Dolloff.

Dolloff said he could not elaborate on the other conditions since the district and the association are still in contract negotiations.

The school union’s contracts expire on June 31.

“Until you have everything agreed to and a contract ratified by the association and the board, and both parties sign it, you don’t technically have an agreement,” Dolloff said.

The Board of Education will present a new contract offer to the association in September, Perry said. Until then, beginning July 1, and until an agreement is met, school employees will work without a contract.

School employees will not receive cost-of-living increases until an agreement has been met. They will still receive their annual step increases, Superintendent David Doyle said.

“The existing contract is in place, and it rolls forward until such time as a subsequent contract is accepted,” Doyle said. “Labor law says that we must still honor the step increases.”

Step increases are given based on an employee’s longevity. Scarborough school employees receive a step increase in each of their first 22 years, Dolloff said. For example, if a teacher last year made $38,000, they will receive about $39,500 next year.

Scarborough went through an at times tumultuous budget process.

In late February, Town Manager Tom Hall asked the three municipal unions – police, dispatch, and fire and paramedic – to forgo their 3.5 percent cost-of-living raises. They all agreed to the wage freeze. That concession saved the town about $259,000.

In early April, the town’s finance committee told the school department that it needed to cut an additional $805,000 from the proposed school budget.

Board of education members on April 29 listened to a short presentation from Doyle to discuss where additional cuts could be made.

Doyle recommended eliminating nine positions, four were teachers retiring after this year that wouldn’t be replaced, one was a technology teacher position that the board asked to have filled this year, and four included teachers in the kindergarten to fifth-grade levels.

In addition, Doyle recommended cutting foreign languages offered to third-through-sixth graders, which include French and Spanish.

At a special Town Council meeting in early May about both the municipal and school budgets, about 31 residents who spoke urged the Town Council to reconsider asking for the additional cuts. The Town Council heeded residents’ advice and restored $448,000 to the budget, leaving the school department to cut only an additional $362,000.

School officials said they are worried about the potential fallout if a 0-percent cost-of-living increase isn’t instituted for this year on an already “tight” budget, Perry said.

If the Scarborough Education Association’s new contract requires a cost-of-living increase, the Board will need to make cuts in either programs or staff to make up for the difference, Perry said.

School union employees currently receive about 3.5 percent annually in cost-of-living raises.

“The board will have to find the money,” she said. “Some tough choices could be ahead of us.”