SAD 43 members and teachers agreed the negotiations went well.
RUMFORD – The SAD 43 school board Monday unanimously ratified a three-year contract for the district’s 160 teachers, which includes for the first time a dental insurance benefit.
Chris Carver, spokesman for the Mountain Valley Teachers’ Association, said negotiations were the most positive he has been involved with.
Superintendent Jim Hodgkin agreed.
“It was a lengthy process but an outstanding process. We put together the best contract we could,” he said.
The new contract runs from Sept. 1, 2004, to Aug. 31, 2005.
Each teacher will receive a single subscriber dental insurance policy from Delta Dental at a cost to the district of $363 a year.
Salary increases are 1.5 percent for 2004-05, 1.75 percent for 2005-06 and 2.25 percent for 2006-07.
The district’s contribution to health insurance premium payments will rise to 70 percent in 2004-05, 75 percent in 2005-06 and 80 percent in 2006-07.
Other components of the contract include the elimination of advertising for coaching positions if a coach will be returning, unless the coach or the district wish to terminate the agreement.
Also, a salary schedule based on number of years served was established, including specific stipends for each extracurricular or co-curricular position.
Teachers will also now be assured of a 20-minute, duty-free lunch period.
The board also settled with the 13, non-bargaining unit district employees to provide an average 3 percent salary hike and the inclusion of a dental insurance benefit.
With the teacher contract settled, the board has only the administrative and secretarial bargaining units remaining to complete.
The board also unanimously approved the establishment of a K-eighth grade day treatment program for school year 2004-05. The program will be housed in space at Mexico’s Meroby Elementary School. Hopes are that the program will be expanded to K-12 in the future at another, larger site. Cost for the K-eighth grade program is estimated at $240,000. The district generally pays $280,000 per year for providing education for these students in special programs in Wilton or Lewiston.
Board members prior to the meeting held a reception to say goodbye to Rumford representatives, Arthur Boivin and Mary Hickey, each with three-years service, and to Mexico representatives Jarrod Dumas and Amy Bernard, each with one-year service.
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