Haddonfield BOE Approves New Teachers' Contract

The unanimously approved two contract agreements with borough teachers and other union employees at a special meeting Monday at the .

The contracts include a one-year, retroactive agreement for the 2010-2011 school year and a three-year deal for 2011-2014. The Haddonfield Education Association, which represents more than 200 district employees including teachers, ratified the agreement last week. The previous contract expired 19 months ago.

The plan calls for a pay increase totaling 8 percent over four years. It also calls for HEA employees to assume up to 14 percent of their benefit costs by the last year of the agreement. The benefit-cost hikes were mandated by the state. The following year, public employees, such as teachers, will have to pay up to 19 percent of benefit costs.

School and union officials both praised the agreement as being in line with similar school district contract agreements in the region and the state.

"It took us two years to get here," said Jackie Carroll, the HEA co-president. "We looked at Moorestown settlement; we looked at Haddon Township settlement; we are comparable to other settlements."

Haddonfield's deal edges Moorestown with an extra year and nearly 2 percent more in pay raise. Settlement rates for teacher contracts statewide have steadily declined over the last six years, with the average settlement at 3.19 percent in 2011-2012 and 2.53 percent for 2012-2013, according to the New Jersey School Boards Association.

No one in the crowd of about five dozen who attended the meeting made a public comment. Many seemed relieved the dispute was finally settled.

"I'm glad they settled it after so much time," said Kathy Foglia, 29, a behavioral therapist for special-needs children who is not a local teacher. "I'm glad both parties seem happy and the settlement seems fair."

The HEA will receive a 2 percent increase in the retroactive deal for 2010-2011. Half of that will be paid in cash. The average teacher salary guide amount is slightly more than $66,000 and the lump-sum payment will be about $700. The deal tops out with a 2.60 percent wage increase in the final year. The teacher salary range in the final year of the contract will be $50,083 to $80,359.

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