Number of teacher sick days questioned

LEWISTON – Taxpayer advocates are raising eyebrows over the number of sick days allotted to Maine’s teachers.

Currently, teachers across the state are allowed an average of 15 to 17 paid sick days for a work year of between 180 and 190 days.

Critics cite the cost of bringing in substitutes. Lewiston and Auburn, for example, each budgeted roughly $300,000 last year.

Teachers, however, say the nature of their work demands more time off.

At Geiger Bros. in Lewiston, Executive Vice President Peter Geiger says 17 sick days for a 185-day work year is excessive compared to business standards. At his company, employees work 252 days and get seven sick days.

“I realize in schools, teachers are exposed to kids coughing and such. Maybe they do need more sick time,” Geiger said.

Surveys, however, show that most teachers don’t come close to using all their sick time. The average was 6.4 days in Lewiston and 7.4 days in Auburn. In the region, the average ranged from 10.5 in Fayette to 4.2 in Sabattus.

“If you look at what people are allotted and what they use, the vast majority use it for major illnesses, not on a regular basis, said Timothy Wegmann, co-president of the Auburn Education Association.

As rising budgets and property taxes raise questions about school spending, some tax activists say teacher sick time offers an example of education budgets being out of whack.

“Is it reasonable for teachers to have 50 percent more sick time for 30 percent less work? That’s what really bothers people,” said Ron Potvin of the Small Property Taxpayers of Auburn.

Auburn City Councilor Ray Berube, the city’s representative on the School Committee, would limit teachers to five sick days a year. He said teachers could be paid for days they didn’t use.

“I know people who work in places who don’t receive any sick days at all. They work holidays and the summer,” he said.

Teacher sick time should be looked at in terms of the overall benefits, Wegmann said. He said teachers don’t get paid during the summer. (They can choose to be paid year-round or during the school year).

Some changes in sick day policy may be in the works.

The Auburn School Committee has offered to pay teachers for not using sick time if spending on substitute teachers can be held to a certain level. Savings would be split between teachers and taxpayers if a spending target is reached.

So far, “it looks encouraging,” Assistant Superintendent Tom Morrill said. Teacher absences are down, but school’s not out until June 18 and “we have a number of pregnancies and serious illnesses,” he cautioned.

In Lewiston, city officials and the teachers’ union have agreed to review sick time to cut costs.

“We think there’s too much use of that benefit,” said School Committee member Tom Shannon. “There’s an awful lot of sick days being used. We know we have a problem.”