Health insurance increases take effect January 2011

Dear Staff:

During the month of December I will be meeting with each of you individually to go over the increase in health insurance premiums that will take effect on January 1, 2011. As you remember, my September memo had a chart showing the increases by plan and provider. Several of you made changes in your coverage based on this information during the open enrollment period in October.



I also want to go over the general financial condition of the school with you. The budget continues to be frozen for the third year in a row as per the School Funding Reform Act of 2008. This means our salaries must remain frozen next year. When you were given the raise last year, it was clearly explained that this was the final salary increase, and that health insurance costs would go up for you.



The Board has voted to freeze all salaries at Elysian Charter School indefinitely. As you may have heard, President Obama has recently frozen all salaries of Federal employees, so we are not alone.



As the list below shows, Elysian Charter School has the highest median salary of any charter school in the State of New Jersey. Only one other school comes close but since they are in Newark they receive more than twice as much per pupil as we do.  86% of charter schools in New Jersey have a median teacher salary below $50,000.  So we are frozen at a much higher level than other charters.


Elysian Charter School Of Hoboken $65,421

Team Academy Charter School $65,045

North Star Academy Charter School Of Newark $60,000

Jersey City Comm. Charter School $56,946

Princeton Charter School $56,688

Greater Newark Charter School $56,175

Robert Treat Academy Charter School $55,400

Freedom Academy Charter School $55,165

Englewood On The Palisades Charter School $53,519

Gray Charter School $53,000

Teaneck Community Charter School $52,000

Emily Fisher Charter School Of Advanced Studies $51,242

Foundation Academy Charter School $50,400

Marion P. Thomas Charter School $50,283

Capital Prepartory Charter High School $50,000

Unity Charter School $49,960

Sussex County Charter School For Technology $49,878

Oceanside Charter School $49,519

Soaring Heights Charter School $49,480

New Horizons Community Charter School $49,053

Discovery Charter School $49,000

East Orange Community Charter School $48,101

Learning Community Charter School $48,076

Jersey City Golden Door C. S. $47,867

University Heights Charter School $47,750

Village Charter School $47,750

Create Charter School $47,685

Academy Charter H.S. $46,750

University Academy Charter School $46,586

Hope Academy Charter School $46,500

Lady Liberty Academy Charter School $46,312

Camden Academy Charter High School $46,000

Community Charter School Of Paterson $46,000

Pride Academy Charter School $46,000

Greater Brunswick Charter School $45,600

Red Bank Charter School $45,457

Charter-Tech High School $45,318

Liberty Academy Charter School $45,179

Camden's Promise Charter School $45,000

Paterson Charter School For Science & Technology $45,000

Trenton Community Charter School $44,243

Leap Academy University Charter School $43,622

Schomburg Charter School $43,491

Central Jersey College Prep Cs $43,300

D.U.E. Season Charter School $43,163

Pace Charter School Of Hamilton $43,020

Galloway Community Charter School $42,901

Bergen Arts And Science Charter School $42,578

Union Co Teams Charter School $41,333

Pleasantech Academy Charter School $40,806

Central Jersey Arts Charter School $40,625

Hoboken Charter School $40,333

Queen City Academy Charter School $40,314

Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School $40,000

Burch Charter School Of Excellence $40,000

Camden's Pride Charter School $40,000

Maria L. Varisco-Rogers Charter School $39,374

Paul Robeson Cs For Humanities $39,300

International Charter School Of Trenton $38,996

Environment Community Opportunity Charter School $38,480

Ridge And Valley Charter School $36,745

Classical Academy Charter School Of Clifton $35,510


 

I hope it is clear that our finances will not permit further salary increases. As our rent and other expenses increase we will be forced to make further cuts since our funding will remain level.



However, as long as employees continue to absorb the increases in health insurance, the rent increases should be sustainable and the school is expected to remain in good fiscal condition. We can and will operate within our budgetary constraints. We can operate on $4 million, even if that amount does not increase.



Some staff mentioned concern about lack of supplies. There is no financial reason for a lack of supplies. Any teacher who needs supplies should submit a requisition, even if you have already expended your supply budget. We will make every effort to supply the classrooms as needed. These costs are miniscule in a $4 million dollar budget.

We are hopeful that at some point, funding will be increased.  Here's a great letter to the editor in the Jersey Journal.  Please note that due to the complexities of the formula, some charter schools in some cities in New Jersey are not adversely affected.  Those which expanded to buy a building, like Learning Community Charter School, did not receive any more money even though they took in more students.

Imagine earning only 52 percent of your salary while doing as good or better than the rest of your co-workers. How would you feel? Would you talk to your boss to correct the injustice? Would you look for a new job? Would you go to a newspaper with this story? This feeling of thorough and objective injustice is what parents and students at Learning Community Charter School (LCCS) and other Jersey City charter schools have felt for the past three years. Since 2007, Jersey City charter schools have only received 52 percent of the funding of the local public schools. In dollar terms, each child in charter school has received $10,300 from the state per year, while his or her peer in a public school "has earned" $17,200 per year.









New Jersey's original law mandates that charter schools are to get 90 percent of the educational aid of public schools. However, charter schools receive 90 percent of only two portions of the educational funding pie. What the charters sorely miss out on is 90 percent of the over $100 million in adjustment aid. This aid, thanks to old-fashioned New Jersey state pork barrel politics, is now kept in the district. All apparently due to legislation quietly passed in Trenton over the 2007 Christmas holiday.










Despite the extreme financial odds placed on all the charter schools, the beautiful silver lining is the great academic success that LCCS and other charter schools have witnessed over the years. For example, in spring 2010, 50 percent of the LCCS eighth grade class was accepted into McNair Academic High School. LCCS outperforms the district on all the state standardized tests each year and offers a rich and progressive education. A number of other Jersey City charter schools can speak to similar academic results. So can anything be done? The state school funding formula determines the amounts/ratios/percentages of money allotted within the adjustment aid and is up for renewal in February 2011. Many charter schools across the state are lobbying their representatives in the state and county legislature -- fundraising, blogging, texting and tweeting, writing to newspapers and generally speaking about the issue.










Please support Jersey City charter school parents and concerned local citizens as we rally to correct the funding formula and help create a more equal educational experience for all Jersey City public school children.










ANNE MARUSIC


JERSEY CITY

Prepaid Legal Service Signup at Wed Nov 10 Board Meeting

Dear Staff:
Tanisha Cook of Prepaid Legal Services will be visiting at our Wednesday November 10 Staff Meeting.  We will be offering a reasonably priced contract to the employees which will give you telephone access to an attorney.  You can learn more about it in advance at https://www.prepaidlegal.com/
Kathy Mone

Open Enrollment for Health Plan Changes Oct 1-30

Any changes in your plan (NJ Direct 10, 15, Cigna, Aetna) must be made before October 30.  Find the form at http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/pensions/epbam/exhibits/pdf/ha0800.pdf and fill it out so I can sign it and send it in before the deadline.  When the rates go up in January it will be too late to change plans.  Also, this is the time to add anyone or delete them, otherwise you cannot without a "qualifying event" such as birth, marriage, etc.

All those enrolled in the new Flexible Spending Accounts for Health, Dependent Care and Transportation should go online to http://www.ezflexplan.com/resourceone/home.asp  There you can find claim forms and instructions on how to fax in your claim.  Don't forget to fill out a direct deposit form so it goes right into your bank account.

Insurance

The school will be offering employees the opportunity to purchase additional insurance through payroll deductions.  Long term disability and other insurance will be offered from AFLAC (The website is http://www.aflac.com/ or http://www.knowquack.com/ might be more informative).  We all have short term state disability insurance but you might want to buy long term disability.  We will also be offering prepaid legal services.  This is a service where you have access to an attorney for a small monthly fee:  http://www.prepaidlegal.com/.  Representatives of both vendors will be attending a staff meeting in the future to sign up interested employees.

Those who joined the new flexible spending account program have been given the information about the website. Go to www.ezflexplan.com/resourceone for further information.

Kathy

More on parking

The new permits are not yet available, please bring in your documentation so we are prepared to get them when they come out later this month.  The City's website has the following warning:   Don’t park in or too close to crosswalks.  Did you ever see the sticker on the back of large trucks that says “If you can’t see my mirrors, I can’t see you.”? The same line-of-sight argument is true for drivers and pedestrians. If vehicles are parked in or too close to crosswalks, then drivers cannot see pedestrians entering crosswalks until it’s too late, and vice versa. That’s why there is a state statute that prohibits parking within 25 feet of crosswalks, and of course in them as well. With the extremely high volumes of pedestrian traffic in Hoboken, enforcement of this law is especially important. We all agree that a good parking space is tough to come by in Hoboken, but convince yourself now that any curb space less than 25 feet from the crosswalk is certainly not safe parking found. Don’t look for white marks on the curb and don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re “not that close”. The fee for this violation is a painful $54.00.

Flexible Spending Accounts (Flex Section 125 and 132 for Health, Dependent Care and Transportation):  We have been informed that our administration of our own Section 125 Flexible Spending Accounts is not in compliance with the laws. We are in violation of HIPAA, IRS Regulations and ERISA. In order to comply with the law, we will be outsourcing our Flex Accounts at no additional cost to the school (employer tax savings will exceed costs) . Please fill out and sign the attached form if you wish to continue the Flex Plan. If not, your deductions will end in September and you may submit receipts to claim for reimbursement of the balance in your account.


Starting October 1, 2010, employees will need to send their receipts for Flexible Spending Plan health and dependent care expenses to the vendor. You will receive a welcome packet with instructions. We are switching from calendar year to school year plan. There will be a 2 ½ month grace period from July 1 to Sept 15 for you to submit receipts to use up your 2010-11 deductions. After that, any money remaining in your account will be returned to the Internal Revenue Service, as it was in the past.

The Flex Plan will continue onto a School Year Basis on July 1, 2011. At that point, deductions will be taken from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012.

Transit and parking reimbursements, (rather than the old TransitChex) will also be issued by the vendor. This will be based on a monthly payroll deduction. Also, please note due to Obama’s new Health Care Legislation, over the counter medications are no longer eligible for reimbursement under the health care flexible spending account, and the total allowable will be reduced to $2500 effective 2012.

Parking Permits

The City of Hoboken has made some changes to the parking permits for schools and other businesses.  The permits are still $200, you still pay $100 and the school pays $100, however, you will no longer be able to park on the resident side unless you pay another $100. 

If you wish you renew your parking permit, please bring me a copy of:
registration
license
Aug 30 paystub
check to Hoboken Parking Utility for $100 or $200
Kathy

Summer Paychecks

To save money, I will not be mailing you your paycheck stubs during the summer (payrolls of July 15 and 30 and August 13 and 30). I will place the stubs in your inbox. If anyone would like to see your paystub right away, let me know and I will scan it and email it to you.
Also, John Mercado wanted to alert you of the great in-store deals at Staples, where you can get stuff for a penny! If you want to do that, save the receipts and I will reimburse you. Please feel free to contact me at school if you need anything, I am in Mon-Fri all day except will be away Aug 2-4. Kathy