Waldwick June 26, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 5 The Waldwick Board of Education has approved a side bar agreement with the Waldwick Education Association making some concessions to part time hourly classroom aides to compensate for eliminating their health benefits as of July 1. Under the agreement, the 10 hourly aides at the elementary schools will be grandfathered into the position, and their hourly rate will be increased by $1 to $17.50 per hour (three will receive $17.91 and two will get $19.29 based on their seniority). These aides will lose this status if they leave for another position within the district or to work elsewhere and wish to be rehired, in which case the rate of pay will be $16.50 per hour. Board of education sweetens school aides’ pot A single middle school/high school aide will be moved to the elementary school and will be replaced with a salaried aide, according to the agreement. The $1 increase for the grandfathered aides will be frozen for the length of the contract, with a zero increase upon settlement of the WEA contract. All aides hired after July 1 will be paid $16.50 per hour and will receive the percent increase from the contract settlement with the WEA in years two and three of the contract. The side bar agreement sets the work week for part time aides at 27 hours and 25 minutes, with a 40-minute unpaid lunch period. A 30-hour work week would no longer be considered hourly. In March the board decided to reduce the work week of 14 hourly aides to 26 hours so they would no longer be eligible for health and dental benefits. This move was to save the board $205,000 a year, according to Business Administrator John Griffin. The 16 full-time aides still employed and unaffected by this agreement were to be reassigned to cover the students with the greatest need. The board made the cuts as part of its mandate to stay within the state-imposed 2 percent cap. Griffin said at the time that the health benefits premium was projected to be $500,000 higher than this year, even though employees now make financial contributions to their health plan. Children are invited to the Waldwick Library’s science program, “Fire and Ice,” on Saturday, June 29. Learn about the amazing properties of fire and combustion; then cool off with spectacular demonstrations involving dry ice. This program will begin at 11 a.m. Registration for the Summer Reading Club will begin Library hosts programs for children on Saturday, June 29. Residents under age 18 are invited to sign up for programs, special events, and ongoing club activities. For more information, call (201) 652-5104. The Waldwick library is located at 19 East Prospect Street in Waldwick.