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The agreement will save $1.5 million over the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years.
“This is great news,” Board of Education President Victoria Tipp said.
The agreement will result in a two-year expenditure that is $1.5 million less than it would have been had the two sides failed to reach agreement on the contract. All public employee negotiations in New York State take place within the Triborough Amendment to the Taylor Law, which says the provisions of the previous contract remain in effect should two sides fail to agree upon a new contract.
The new agreement represents a partnership between the district and its teachers and demonstrates a shared commitment to doing what is best for its students, its schools and its community, McKay said.
The Chappaqua Congress of Teachers approved the agreement in a vote Tuesday, and the Board of Education approved the agreement at its meeting Wednesday.
The key elements of the ratified memorandum of agreement are:
- Steps frozen: For each of the two years, teachers agreed to freeze their step increases and instead, each teacher will receive a flat increase of $1,950, which is substantially below the contractual step increase.
- Health insurance contributions increase: Teachers agreed to increase their insurance premium contributions from the current rate of 11 percent to 12.25 percent for 2013-14, and to 13.5 percent for 2014-15. (Had the two sides failed to reach agreement, contributions would have remained frozen at the 11 percent rate.)
- Stipends increase: For those teachers who receive stipends (for coaching, chairing a department, etc.), the stipend amount will be increased by 1 percent for 2013-14 and 1.5 percent for 2014-15.
- Average increase: The average teacher salary increase (including the dollar and stipend increases) will be 1.69 percent for 2013-14, and 1.72 percent for 2014-15. (Had the two sides failed to reach agreement, the average teacher salary increase would have been 2.68 percent for each year.)
“During these difficult financial times, this MOA puts students first and shows a shared commitment to continuing to provide an excellent education,” said McKay.
"This new agreement shows respect for our teachers as professionals and ensures that Chappaqua students continue to receive the highest quality public education while minimizing program cuts and job losses," said Ellen Pincus, president of the Chappaqua Congress of Teachers.
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