West Deptford School Board Finalizes New Teacher Contract

The long road has ended.

After more than a year and a half of wrangling, a new contract for the West Deptford Education Association (WDEA) was finalized Monday night, as the school board cast an unopposed vote in support of the new deal.

“The resolution today is a positive one,” school board President Christopher Strano said. “It's a relief that it's over.”

The board's action came after the teacher's union ratified the contract last week in a near-unanimous 265-9 vote.

Strano praised both sides for their tireless efforts and countless hours working to get a deal done.

“The result of this came down to community,” he said, adding that the deal was struck when both sides put aside their attorneys and representiatives out of the room and worked it out between the two negotiating committees.

Under the terms of the contract, teachers will get a 1 percent retroactive raise for the 2010-2011 school year. The contract also includes a 2.45 percent raise each school year for teachers in both 2011-2012 and 2012-2013.

The deal works out to a net raise of about 1.97 percent per year, which is below the average increase statewide, as determined by the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA).

A recent NJSBA release noted that contracts settled since April 1 of this year have an average increase of 2.1 percent, though that includes increases included by teachers advancing through the salary step guide.

All stipends, such as those for coaching athletic teams or advising academic clubs, will be frozen at 2009-2010 levels for the duration of the contract.

The final contract comes close to what teachers were seeking and what a , in terms of length and raises, but veered away from the report on health care contributions–under the new deal, WDEA members will pitch in for their health insurance as mandated by recently-passed state legislation.

Strano called it a "definite compromise" between both sides, and called the taxpayers the ultimate winner.

“The people of West Deptford should be happy with this,” he said.