Teacher unions responsible for salaries of the single largest group of municipal workers on the Island will not be asked to give up cost of living increases next year.

A Wednesday meeting of the all-Island school committee turned down requests from various town bodies to reopen negotiations with the unions that control teacher salaries, in light of the national economic crisis.

Vineyard schools superintendent Dr. James H. Weiss brought the requests to the group after receiving letters from various Island boards which include the West Tisbury selectmen and the all-Island finance committee.

School leaders also tackled another delicate subject at the meeting: the issue of teacher-student relationships in light of a new proposed protocol presented by Mr. Weiss.

Faculty members on union negotiated salaries fall into five categories: teaching, custodial, cafeteria, secretarial and administrative staff. Two unions represent the up-Island and regional high school districts respectively. Contracts with built-in pay increases are negotiated every three years.

At $40 million, Island public school budgets will account for more than half the money spent by Vineyard towns next year. Salaries comprise the largest part of this sum.

The present contracts are in their final year — new negotiations must begin by September this year.

Committee member Priscilla Sylvia argued that there appears to be lack of consistency among towns on the issue of whether to scrap salary increases.

While Edgartown employees will not receive an increase, Chilmark selectmen have announced their intention to preserve raises if possible.

“I would want to know more before I made a decision either way,” Mrs. Sylvia said.

Committee member Marshall Segal was adamantly against intervention.

“I would vigorously resist any requests by any finance committees to reopen negotiations about salaries,” he said. “Given the ambiguities and intensity of the worldwide economy, to look first at our employees . . . you’d all have to work very hard to persuade me otherwise.”

Committee member Jeffrey (Skipper) Manter, who is also a West Tisbury selectman, argued in favor of taking the question to unions.

“I would have a difference of opinion from Marshall. The situation has changed since we negotiated these contracts. That’s an understatement. They could say, no, we bargained in good faith. But I don’t see any harm in asking. They could respectfully decline,” he said.

In his letter to Mr. Weiss dated Jan. 21, West Tisbury finance committee member Al DeVito called it a moral question.

“The committee feels quite strongly that it would be unfair, if not immoral, to ask town employees to sacrifice while there is no change in the wage structure of the employees of the school system,” he wrote.

But committee member David Rossi of Edgartown underscored the inconsistency point.

“If they want to have a COLA discussion, fine. But I agree consistency is the issue here,” he said. “In Edgartown town employees get a higher COLA than the school teachers. But teachers never said, ‘Times are good, now let’s reopen negotiations.’ ”

But committee member Dan Cabot said: “It’s unlikely that the unions would answer a question that hasn’t been asked.”

Leslie Baynes of Edgartown agreed with Mr. Rossi. “There’s no baseline,” he said.

Mr. Cabot had another view. “It’s a chicken and egg thing,” he said, arguing that it requires a first move on the part of the schools or other municipal bodies that none may be willing to make.

Mr. Weiss argued that school budgets are already complete and are lean as it is.

“I haven’t seen percentages so low in my tenure — from 0.5 to two per cent,” the superintendent said. “To get to those numbers there have been staff reductions in just about every district.”

He acknowledged that the subject of cost of living increases has acquired a level political sensitivity across the Island.

“I think it would be wise to have at least some discussion at some level with employees,” he said. “It would be a wise political move to have at least some informal discussion.”

Mr. Segal was not convinced.

“Four months from now we’re going to be starting new negotiations. Imagine the confusion in the minds of shareholders of these negotiations [if we come to them now].”

Mr. Baynes argued that the solution should be for the committee to look for efficiencies elsewhere in the business before looking to employees.

“We should look to items like unified workers compensation and office supplies before we turn to individuals in the community,” he said.

After the meeting he expanded the point.

“It behooves us as a district to be discussing how best to be spending the Island’s money,” he said. “Contrary to popular opinion, most businesses don’t want to look at layoffs, they recognize the crucial importance of staff. What do we do collectively to best handle the crisis?”

In the end Mr. Rossi made a motion not to intervene in the contractual agreement.

Roxanne Ackermann voted to table the discussion, but her motion failed to carry. Mr. Rossi’s motion then carried 7-3 with Mr. Manter, Susan Parker and Ms. Ackerman casting the dissenting votes. Voting in favor were Mr. Rossi, Mr. Baynes, Mrs. Sylvia, Mr. Cabot, Mrs. Mercier, Mr. Segal and Lisa Reagan.

Mr. Weiss then addressed a draft policy on teacher ethics, prepared in light of a number of recent incidents involving students and teachers on the Island. This was the first of three readings on the draft policy.

“There has been a lack of understanding of appropriate behavior, manifested in a number of incidents. No one incident was the trigger,” Mr. Weiss said yesterday.

The proposed policy has been adapted for Vineyard schools using a document from Natick public schools.

Mr. Weiss said he has worked with the high school principals’ cabinet and the teachers’ association.

Among proposed changes to staff conduct policy is an introductory sentence calling for general awareness of teacher boundaries.

“They are expected to maintain a culture of professionalism and respect, providing a healthy atmosphere for student growth and learning while remaining within proper boundaries,” the draft policy reads.

Committee members had a few initial suggestions.

Mr. Baynes argued for more forceful language on the subject of e-mails.

“It says e-mails can be public documents. E-mails are public documents. If you can’t stand to see it in the papers don’t send it,” he said.

“That’s the acid test,” Mr. Weiss agreed. “If you wouldn’t want your mother to read it in the paper.”

Part of the protocol concerns modern forms of possible communications between parents and teachers.

“What you post on your blog or on your Myspace, on Facebook can be assessed by students. Do not send text messages or IMs, invite students to your house or allow them to show up,” the draft policy reads.

Committee member Susan Mercier of Edgartown said she would like the document to encourage more parent contact.

“They need to contact parents about schedules,” she said, noting that she is a member of a booster club for students for which only student cell phone numbers are given out. Parents need to be listed,” she said.

In reference to the advice: “Don’t drive around individuals in the car,” Priscilla Sylvia, a retired longtime teacher, asked for clarification.

“I drove kids back on a field trip, do I just leave them there standing by the dock?” she said.

“To my mind you don’t want to be in any situation that could be misconstrued,” offered Mr. Weiss.

Mr. Baynes agreed.

“It’s unfortunate but it’s the world we live in,” he said.

“I’ll call the police next time. Get Skipper to do it,” said Ms. Sylvia, a tongue-in-cheek reference to her colleague Mr. Manter, who is also a West Tisbury police officer.

More discussion sprang from the entry: “Consider when and how it might be appropriate to touch a student.”

Mr. Weiss underscored that the document is advisory and that some rules are not absolute.

“If little Jimmy falls down in kindergarten, the teacher is going to pick little Jimmy up,” he said.