The Lisbon School district and Lisbon Education Association came to a final contract for the coming school year.
Lisbon superintendent Autumn Pino said that the contract will allow a 3.5 percent increase for teachers’ salaries for the coming year, and the district is making steps to make sure years of service and years in education are reflected for teachers as well.
“Whenever we’re working through these contracts, it’s always being cautious, as these are areas that impact our budgets,” Pino said.
The contract is a two-year contract, with the ability for the contract to be revised for base wages next year.
The work by the legislature to increase teachers pay, as well as the 2.5 percent state supplemental aid, definitely impacted some of that work on the budget. Pino said one thing the district had to be cognizant of was the fact that part-time teachers, nurses and counselors were not covered in any raises that the governor had proposed to salaries.
“We wanted those positions to see a similar raise in pay,” Pino said.
Contract negotiations between the district and teachers’ union started much later this year than they have in past years, due to that impact by teachers’ salaries from the governor and the 2.5 percent SSA being passed later.
“I had to do a lot to help educate the board as we grappled with different scenarios in negotiations,” Pino said.