Mills signs executive order guaranteeing pay for schools’ hourly support staff

As schools transition to distance learning as the COVID-19 pandemic spreads, Governor Janet Mills issued an executive order on Thursday requiring school districts to continue to pay their hourly employees for the remainder of the school year.

“[S]chool superintendents and the Commissioner of Department of Education have advised of the importance and value of keeping all hourly employees available to meet changing needs so that school can promptly provide the widest range of services that may during this uncertain time be determined on short notice,” Mills’ order reads.

The Maine Education Association (MEA), the state’s teachers’ union, had been advocating for this measure since schools began closing to students.

“MEA commends Governor Mills and [Department of Education] Commissioner [Pender] Makin for taking the right step to provide pay through the school year to all hourly workers who are employed by School Administrative Units (SAUs) including charter schools, CTE programs, Education in the Unorganized Territory (EUT), magnet schools, and Child Developmental Services (CDS),” MEA President Grace Leavitt said in a statement.

“These employees are providing vital services to our students during this difficult time-preparing meals, delivering learning packets, keeping buildings clean and safe and supporting our schools and communities,” she said. “Our bus drivers, ed techs, custodians, school secretaries and all other hourly workers are crucial as schools adapt to the changing learning environment — continuing to pay them provides financial peace of mind that is needed during this unprecedented time.”

Earlier this week, Beacon spoke to a local union president who was concerned about how hourly support staff will fare as schools implement distance learning. She noted that many staffing decisions around requiring employees to be present in the buildings were being decided at the district level, leading to varying protocols around containing the spread of the virus.

Photo: A Portland Public Schools bus | Gonçalo Trincão Cunha, Flickr via Creative Commons