by Alex Brooks
The Board of Education and the Hoosick Falls Teachers Association (HFTA), who have been negotiating a contract renewal for about a year, have reached an agreement, and it has been approved by a formal vote of both the Board of Education and the Teachers Association.
[private] Hoosick Falls Schools Superintendent Ken Facin said he found the Teachers Association to be thoughtful and constructive partners in the negotiation process. He said no attorneys were involved, and there was a fruitful give and take between the two parties throughout. Facin also remarked that this was the first contract in a long time that was renewed on time, which is a testament to the relationship of trust that has been established between the teachers and the administration.
HFTA representative Chris Marsh said he thought it was a fair contract, and he thanked the Board for their part in bringing the contract negotiation to a successful conclusion.
The contract, which begins July 1 and continues through June 30, 2020, calls for a 1 percent increase in salary for each of the five years of the contract, in addition to annual “step” increases that are based on years of teaching experience.
Members of the HFTA voted on June 11 to ratify the agreement by a vote of 89 in favor to 17 opposed.
“We are both grateful and pleased that district leaders and teachers were able to work together on an agreement that not only meets the needs of our students but that also is fair to our taxpayers,” said Board of Education President Gregory Laurin.
The contract asks teachers for a larger contribution for health coverage to offset the cost of individual dental and vision plans resulting in an annual savings of $25,000 per year. Their contribution will be raised from 10% to 15%. Other contractual changes that will begin in 2015-16 include an increase in teaching days from 180 to 182 days, and the length of the school day will be extended by 10 minutes each day. Teachers have also agreed to additional afterschool responsibilities as we!l as teaching from 5 to 6 classes per day.
Mr. Facin credited the teachers’ willingness to negotiate for the smooth and timely passage of the agreement. He said, “I appreciate the effort our teachers made to work with us to reach the first on-time agreement in 30 years. But more importantly, this contract shows our educators’ deep commitment to the children and families of the Hoosick Falls District.” [/private]