Teachers accept 3-year pay freeze

The New Richmond Education Association has accepted a three-year pay freeze in a new contract with the New Richmond Exempted Village School District. The contract, which runs from July 1, 2011 until June 30, 2014, was ratified Thursday by both the teachers and the Board of Education.

“The NREA agreed to some huge concessions for the betterment of our community and our tax payers in the district,” said superintendent of schools Adam Bird in announcing the agreement at Thursday board meeting. “It includes a three-year base salary freeze, a three-year step salary freeze, a three-year tuition reimbursement freeze.”

The contract will allow for salary movement for teachers who receive advanced degrees.

The teachers also agreed to pay an addition 2.5 percent toward their health care and agreed to 15 additional minutes per day with students.

“It will now be 90 percent of health care covered by the Board of Education and 10 percent by the teachers,” said Bird, who negotiated the agreement in informal sessions with NREA president Nicole Parker.

Parker did not give details on the ratification by teachers but noted that it was not a close vote.

“It passed by a nice majority,” said Parker. “It was not a tough sell. We were happy to work with Mr. Bird and the Board to come up with something that still gives us some security in our contract and some protection in some areas.”

The teachers also agreed to go to 25 pay periods in the first year of the contract and 24 pays in year two and three of the contact which will save on administrative costs.

The agreement by the teachers to give up 15 minutes of their 40-minute planning period allows the district to move start times up 15 minutes resulting in transportation savings due to buses not having idle time between high school and elementary routes.

The board approved new start times of 8:45 a.m. for elementary buildings, the high school at 7:40 a.m. and the middle school at 7:45 a.m. for the 2011-12 school year.

”I really want to commend our NREA and our teachers for making these concessions,” said Bird.

“It was a big move for teachers,” said Parker. “I think it definitely shows that we are behind this district.”