Stonington ― Chanting “this is what we’re fighting for: Stonington paras deserve more,” upwards of 40 paraeducators picketed outside the former Pawcatuck Middle School before Thursday’s school board meeting.

Members of Stonington’s pareducator union, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1996, have argued that low wages result in student needs going unmet as the district is unable to recruit and retain paraeducators in critical positions.

At the board meeting, member Kevin Agnello noted that the number of open positions was 11 as of Thursday evening.

Paraeducators are support staff members who assist teachers in the classroom or provide assistance to students with disabilities or need additional support.

“We provide essential services to students, especially those with special education needs who are legally entitled to additional services and support,” said Nicole Jacko, a former paraeducator in the district.

Jacko said she left after one year because of the low pay.

The protest comes after union members voted in June to reject a tentative agreement that would have seen the starting wage for paraeducators increase from $16.35 to $17.61 per hour, sending the paraeducators’ contract to arbitration.

Under the tentative agreement, wages would have ranged in the first year between $17.61 for new employees and $20.96 for paraeducators who have been with the district for years.

Under the current contract, full-time paraeducators working 32.5 hours per week, 180 days per year earn approximately $20,000 in their first year of employment.

In contrast, in nearby Norwich paraeducators earn between $17.96 and $26.81 per hour.

According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Living Wage Calculator, single individuals with no children need to work 40 hours each week at $24.13 per hour, $50,194 annually, in order to support themselves in Connecticut.

Allison Schlink, who is entering her 25th year as a paraeducator at West Vine Street School, said Thursday that she continues to stay in the job because the work is fulfilling.

She said paraeducators make a difference in students’ lives, but after almost a quarter of a century, she still earns less than $20 per hour. Her hourly salary is $19.71.

The district had previously explained that historical issues including minimal pay increases, frozen step increases and an increase in how long it takes paraeductors to reach the highest pay level have contributed to the stagnation of their wages.

During the school board meeting, Agnello pushed back against the idea that Stonington paraeducators received wages that were drastically lower than in neighboring towns.

He shared data that he said showed that the agreement the union rejected would have made starting wages higher than some neighboring towns and just $.07 behind neighboring Groton.

During public comment, several parents of students with special education needs discussed how vital paraeducators are to student success and how influential they are in students’ lives.

Alyssa Miner, the mother of a student with special education needs at Dean’s Mill School, said her child’s paraeducators were invaluable and that paraeducators were the backbone of Stonington schools.

Kim Harris, a 26-year paraeducator, said that as she begins her 27th year with the district, she still earns just $19.71 per hour. She said the district struggled last year due to staffing shortages, and she was concerned what this year would bring more unfilled positions.

“How will we legally and ethically meet the needs of our students?” she asked.

After approximately half an hour, board chair Farouk Rajab cut off public comment regarding the issue, noting that public comment is limited to items on the agenda, and the paraeducator contract was not an agenda item.

The district is currently facing financial pressures associated with structural issues at the middle school on Mistuxet Avenue, and the district saw $500,000 in cuts to its proposed 2024-2025 budget.

The town has an undesignated surplus of $15.2 million ― $1.2 million more than it needs to preserve its high bond rating. The town used $7.9 million from the surplus to fund capital projects in the current budget.

Editor’s note: This version contains more specific salary information for Allison Schlink.