SCHOOL DISTRICT OWES $266,000 IN BACK DUES TO TEACHERS UNION

The school district owes more than $266,000 in dues to the New Jersey Education Association, the state-level umbrella for the teachers union, according to a statement issued to the district this month.

Paula Bethea, president of the South Orange Maplewood Education Association (SOMEA) -- the union for district teachers -- brought up the late dues at Monday's school board meeting, advising the board that $266,604 was owed to the union from dues collected by the district. 

"This is not to embarrass but to publicly say I have been advised by NJEA to present this to the board," Bethea said. "Our payment is due on a monthly basis."

Dues run $866 annually for full-time members, according to the NJEA website. They are collected on a monthly basis by the district as part of paycheck deductions and are then sent to NJEA, which forwards a portion to SOMEA. 

But the statement, dated March 1, indicates no dues were sent to NJEA during September, October, and December 2016 and January and February 2017. It revealed they add up to $266,604.

"We have a delinquency because nothing has been sent this year," Bethea told the board. "If I don't receive dues I cannot run SOMEA."

Board President Elizabeth Baker said during the meeting, "Obviously, we're going to ask" Business Administrator Paul Roth "to follow up. We have not, the board has not been aware of that...we will follow up."

Asked for further information on why the dues were not sent, the district had no further information. NJEA officials, meanwhile, also did not respond to a request for an update.