Union seeks to lift cap on teacher tuition waivers; district says policy-level change required
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Summary
The union asked the district to remove the cap on tuition‑waiver entries for teachers' children to attend Ithaca schools when space is available; the district replied that board policy would need to change and asked to handle the matter at the Board of Education level.
Union negotiators proposed removing the fixed cap on tuition waivers that allow teachers to enroll their children in Ithaca City School District schools tuition‑free when space exists. The union said the cap (currently listed as 26 spots) prevents some employees from enrolling children and is a barrier to teacher recruitment and retention in a community with scarce affordable housing.
District staff said the practice and any change to the cap are governed by Board of Education policy and that the district was not prepared to change that policy in the current contract negotiation; instead, staff invited the union to pursue the change with the Board directly. The district said that any policy change would need a formal board action and reiterated that waivers must not displace resident students or create undue hardship for the district.
Negotiators agreed to continue the conversation with district staff and noted the political and operational implications of changing board policy. District staff said they would be willing to be part of a board‑level conversation about whether and how to change the policy, but the district would not endorse unilaterally raising or removing the cap as a contract term during the bargaining session.
Union negotiators said removing the cap when space is available would be an important recruiting and retention tool and asked the district to bring their concerns to the Board of Education for policy consideration.