Schools

Regional School Board, Teachers OK 4-Year Deal

Sides agree after more than two years of negotiations.

The West Morris Regional Board of Education and the West Morris Regional Education Association have finalized a four-year contract that both sides have agreed upon.

The contract, which is retroactive to the 2009-10 school year–the first year without a renewed settlement–was voted on at the Monday, June 27 board meeting at Mendham High School. Seven of the members voted in favor of the agreement, while Marcia Asdal, representing Chester, voted against it and Jamie Button, representing Mendham Township, abstained.

While contracts are usually agreed upon in terms of percentages, the new deal between the two sides was based on real dollar amounts, according to board president Cristen Forrester.

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"The settlement keeps us under the 2-percent (cap) in each of the three years it's applicable, and there are no programs or activities that are in danger of being cut because of the changes," Forrester said.

Regarding increase in pay for the teachers, actual raises to staff depend on where they fall on the guide, according to the contract's details. Increases to each step on the salary guide range from .7 percent to 1.8-percent. Health benefit contribution is 1.5 percent of the teacher's salary for years two through four of the contract.

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Also according to the contract's details, the 4-year total impact to West Morris Regional property taxpayers is 10.7 percent–an average of 2.7 percent per year.

As of July 1, 2011, the contract officially enters its third year. Forrester said the phase-in approach of the recently approved pension and healthcare reform legislation won't affect the current contract, and will be factored in for the next settlement.

The board also says that the contract's figures allows the district the opportunity to be more competitive in terms of attracting and retaining the best teachers.


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