City, Teachers Approve Contract

The new contract agreed upon this week between Danbury's teachers and the Board of Education covers salaries, insurance and working conditions.

Teachers are currently working with a contract that gave them no pay increase this year for increases in the cost of living. It also held them in the same "step," meaning they did not get an increase in pay for working an extra year in Danbury.

The new contract approved this week gives teachers both a half "step" increase each year, and a cost of living increase.

The new contract will give teachers a cost of living increase of 2 percent in the school year 2012-2013. It will give them a cost of living increase of 1.75 percent in the following year. In addition to the cost of living increase, teacher will move a half "step," for each of the two years of this contract. In a teacher contract, steps are payment increases determined by a teacher's years of experience.

"This is a responsible contract that recognizes the financial predicament the district is in," said Schools Superintendent Sal Pascarella, Ed.D. Pascarella explained the contract increased allowable class sizes in the city's two middle schools and at Danbury High School.

Teachers have agreed in the new contract to pay more for their health care. Teachers agreeed to pay higher health care copayments, and a new copayment on high cost diagnostic procedures, such as MRIs, PET scans and CAT scans. In addition, teacherw will pay higher health care premiums.

"NEA Danbury is pleased with the outcome of negotiations," said Union President Cindy Marochine.

The contract calls for continued neogitiations between the board and union as the years progress on new plans by the district both for work hours and changes in the schools designed to improve instruction and education.