School board backs deal with administrators

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Tuttle-Building

NAUGATUCK — The Board of Education approved a new three-year contract with administrators Thursday that includes a 7.4 percent in wages over that time.

Board of Education Chairman David Heller said negotiations centered on wages and health insurance.

The contract will cost the district $184,593 in increases over the next three years, according to Human Resources Director John Lawlor.

Lawlor said the contract was competitive with other districts.

The contract raises wages for the district’s 18 administrators 2.15 percent in the first year with a .69 percent step increase, 2.5 percent in the second year, and 2.75 percent in the third year.

The contract also raises the salary range for the assistant director of special education/preschool principal up to $117,505 to $121,003. The salary for the position without the added duties of principal is $114,256 to $117,682.

The new contract replaces the current comprehensive mixed benefits health plan with a high deductible health plan similar to the one the teachers have.

Lawlor said the changes in health insurance won’t save money because the old plan wasn’t very expensive, but he said, it will provide the district with consistency within employee groups for future plan pricing.

The first year, Lawlor said the new plan will cost about $12,000 more, but by the third year, it will be reduced to an amount similar to what the district’s currently paying.

For the first two years, the plan will be identical to the teachers’ plan, but in the third year, administrators’ cost share for prescription drugs increases by $5 at each tier level, Lawlor said.

In the first two years, the board contributes 50 percent of the deductible, but that decreases in the third year to 45.

Along with increases in wages, the contract increases the number of days administrators work from either 181 or 191 to 200 days during the 10-month work period.

“We’re very pleased that we didn’t have to arbitrate it,” Heller said.

He said the board and union agreed to the plan through pre-arbitration mediation.

“The administrators in our district are shining stars,” Heller said. “We greatly value and appreciate all their dedication, hard work and efforts on behalf of the students in our community.”