Teacher Contract Vote Pending, Another Contract Approved

1. Tentative Agreement Reached in SAU 90: The negotiating teams for the Seacoast Education Association and the Hampton School Board have reached tentative agreements on a new teachers contract.

Superintendent Kathleen Murphy said the teachers union is expected to ratify the undisclosed agreement at a session at 3:30 p.m., while the school board is expected to also approve the deal after a 5:30 p.m. nonpublic session at SAU 90.

Murphy said she is "assuming they'll pass" the deal because "it's been a very positive negotiation session" over the last three months.

"I'm very hopeful and I'm very optimistic," she said.

If and when the deal is passed by both sides and by voters at Town Meeting in March, it would end a nearly two-year long period that SEA members have worked without a contract.

2. Paraprofessionals Contract Approved: The Winnacunnet School Board on Wednesday approved an agreement with the Seacoast Education Support Personnel Association, which is the local paraprofessionals union that covers both SAU 90 and .

The board approved the contract after a nonpublic session following their . Terms of the deal have yet to be disclosed, although SAU 21 officials said Wednesday they believe the board's vote finalizes a contract that has already been approved by the other towns and bodies represented by SAU 21 and 90.

The contract needs to go before a Town Meeting vote, though, in those communities, which include Hampton, North Hampton, Seabrook, Hampton Falls and South Hampton.

The union hasn't had a contract in nearly three years as voters in several of those communities have voted down SESPA contracts and fact-finder's reports.