Message from the President

Last Day of School

A few NTU members were told that they have to work a full day on June 23, 2026. This information is incorrect. Our past practice has been that staff and faculty work a half day on the last day of school. Generally speaking, staff can leave once the students leave and they check out for the year with their building administrator. Dr. Andrade has confirmed this and has instructed the Assistant Superintendents to remind the building principals of this tradition. If you are told otherwise, please let your building representatives know.

Service Logs

On Friday afternoon, I felt like I was experiencing déjà vu. Evidently, an email was sent to the Special Education Department asking special educators, speech-language pathologists, and other staff to upload service logs to NHSEIS.

For the third time, I want to reiterate that it is the NTU's understanding that you are not required to upload your service logs to NHSEIS. This issue has been addressed and agreed upon numerous times between management and the NTU, most recently on May 27, 2026.

I sincerely apologize that members of the Special Education Department continue to receive mixed messages from management on this matter. I have asked management to send a clarifying email to the department as soon as possible to avoid any further confusion.

Voluntary Sick Bank Replenishment for Paraeducators and Teachers

Before the end of the school year, the District has agreed to allow teachers and paraeducators to voluntarily donate one sick day to their respective sick banks. This replenishment is entirely optional and choosing not to donate will not affect your membership in the sick bank.

For some members, donating a day may make sense. For example:

• Teachers who are retiring and have more than the 74 sick days needed to receive the maximum severance payment may want to consider donating a day, since any days above that amount would be forfeited anyway.

• Teachers who currently have more than 154 accumulated sick days may also wish to donate a day, as 154 is the maximum number of sick days that can be carried into the next school year.

• Paraeducators may accumulate a maximum of 75 sick days and receive 10 additional sick days each year. Therefore, if you expect to end the school year with 65 or more sick days, you may want to consider donating a day since you will reach the maximum accumulation regardless.

Everyone's circumstances are different. If you feel you need to continue building your own sick leave balance, please do not feel obligated to donate. However, if you are in a position to spare a day and would like to help strengthen the sick bank for fellow members who may need it, your generosity would be greatly appreciated. The voluntary sick replenishment forms will be sent to your school emails by human resources sometime very soon.

Some members of the clerical unit may wonder why there is no voluntary replenishment for secretaries this year. As those who attended the contract ratification meeting in May know, the tentative agreement includes a provision under which the Board of Education agreed to eliminate the current deficit in the Secretary Sick Bank. Assuming the Board of Aldermen approves the agreement, the deficit will be wiped out in July. Because of that, it does not make much sense for secretaries to donate a day when the existing deficit is already scheduled to be eliminated.

I'm hoping that this time next year, we can get the District to agree to do a voluntary replenishment for all four of sick banks; however, this is a good start. 

Title One Paraeducator Positions Eliminated

On Friday afternoon, I learned through two building representatives that the majority of the district's 16 Title I paraeducator positions are being eliminated. Central Office later confirmed this information after I asked and explained that the reductions are necessary because the District received less Title I grant funding than originally anticipated.

I reminded the District that, under the paraeducator contract, Title I paraeducators are part of the "Nursery through Grade Six Instructional Paraeducator" designated area. Under the reduction-in-force language in the contract, layoffs within a designated area must be based on seniority, with the least senior employees being reduced first. This means that all of the instructional paras from pre-K through grade six are part of the pool for potential layoffs. 

As was the case with the teacher layoffs earlier this year, this process will take some time. I will share additional information as I receive it. I am hoping that the process will be completed by August 1, which is the date paraeducators receive their tentative assignments for the upcoming school year.

I am truly sorry for any paraeducators who are impacted by these cuts. Please know that these reductions are not a reflection of your work or value to our schools. Rather, they are the result of insufficient federal funding for the Title I grant. I know this news is difficult, and I will do everything I can to ensure that the contractual process is followed and to help affected employees secure other positions within the District whenever possible.

NTU and Nashua Board of Education Ratify Secretary Contract

Last Tuesday, both the Nashua Board of Education and the Secretary Unit of the Nashua Teachers' Union ratified the new Secretary Contract. The final step in the ratification process is approval by the Board of Aldermen.

This step typically takes a little longer because Board of Aldermen procedures require collective bargaining agreements to go through a first reading, be referred to the Budget Committee for review, and then return to the full Board of Aldermen for a final vote.

Based on the current aldermanic calendar, it appears that the contract will receive its first reading on June 9 and be referred to the Board of Aldermen Budget Committee on June 18. Assuming there are no unforeseen delays, the contract should return to the full Board of Aldermen for final approval on June 23, 2026—just before the current agreement expires.

Hopefully, this timeline holds. If so, there will be no need for retroactive pay adjustments, and we will have successfully ratified and approved a successor agreement before the expiration of the current contract.
 
Reminder to Teachers who Receive 26 checks

When we negotiated the current Teachers’ Contract, we agreed to eliminate the option of spreading paychecks over the summer starting in the summer of 2026. As a result, teachers who elected the 26-paycheck option will receive their final five paychecks on June 18, 2026.

One of those checks will be for the regular two-week pay period ending June 18. Teachers who elected the 22-paycheck option are already familiar with this arrangement, as June 18 will be their final paycheck until the start of the next school year (first check of the next school year is on August 27, 2026).

For teachers on the 26-paycheck option, the remaining four checks represent their entire summer pay. If you receive paper checks, you will receive five separate checks on June 18. If you participate in direct deposit, you will see five separate deposits in your bank account. This way, the summer pay will not be issued as a single lump-sum payment. This approach ensures that payroll deductions, taxes, and benefit contributions are processed evenly.

For those who are accustomed to receiving paychecks throughout the summer and are concerned about budgeting, I would suggest depositing the four summer-pay checks into a savings account. Then, every two weeks, transfer the equivalent of one paycheck into your checking account. This allows you to maintain a regular cash-flow schedule similar to what you are used to, while also earning a little interest on the money during the summer months. In the end, you will actually come out slightly ahead financially compared to receiving those payments throughout the summer.

City Budget Process

As I previously shared, I am hopeful that the City of Nashua will approve the Board of Education’s proposed budget. If that occurs, some of the positions currently slated for reduction could be restored, and some laid off teachers may be recalled.

The School Department will present its budget to the Board of Aldermen on May 5, 2026, at City Hall at 7:00 pm. I will be in attendance, but I am not asking members to come to this meeting, although you are obviously more than welcome to do so. The next key date is the Public Hearing on the FY 2027 City Budget, which will take place on June 8, 2026, at Nashua High School North at 7:00 p.m. This hearing is an important opportunity to provide feedback to the Board of Aldermen, and I strongly encourage members to attend.

The Board of Aldermen is expected to hold its final vote on the City Budget on June 23, 2026. Depending on how the process unfolds, I may ask members to attend that meeting as well. At this time, however, the only meeting I am asking people to go to is the Public Hearing on June 8.

Here is the full budget meeting calendar from the City:

Nashua Budget Meeting Calendar

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

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