Selectmen, School Board Ratify New Simsbury Teacher Pact

SIMSBURY, CT — Local teachers will get pay raises very close to 4 percent a year on average after the town and school officials in recent weeks ratified a new labor contract.

The Simsbury Board of Selectmen Nov. 28 unanimously voted to ratify a new, three-year pact between the Simsbury Board of Education and the Simsbury Education Association.

On Nov. 14, the teachers union voted and approved the contract, with the school board approving it unanimously Nov. 15, paving the way for the board of selectmen's final vote at the end of the month.

Taking into account both general and step raises, the new deal will bring teachers 4.12 percent raises in 2023-24; 4.08 percent hikes in 2024-25; and 3.78 percent pay raises for 2025-26.

Simsbury Town Manager Maria Capriola told selectmen she is recommending it pass as "this was all done in good faith."

The selectmen vote means the agreement is official.

Had they voted against the contract, it would have gone to arbitration and had they taken no action, it would have been "considered ratified" after 30 days of the contract's filing.

Other details of the contract include:

• Teachers paying for 21 percent of health insurance premiums for the life of the contract.

• An increase in term life insurance from $30,000 to $50,000, with the option to purchase additional life insurance up to $400,000 in coverage.

• A hike in the maximum amount for dental work from $1,500 to $2,000, with the plan covering 85 percent of restorative services, including fillings.

For the full details of the Simsbury Education Association contract, click on this link and scroll to Page 10.

For the explanation of what was approved by the Simsbury Board of Selectmen, click on this link and scroll to Page 7.

For the minutes of the Nov. 28 Simsbury Board of Selectmen meeting, click on this link.