Bedford Teachers One Step Closer to Another Pay Raise

Bedford teachers appear to be on the verge of a salary increase, for the second year in a row, if a new collective bargaining agreement is approved by Bedford voters on Election Day, March 12.

The agreement, which will carry them through the 2014-'15 school year, was negotiated between the Bedford School Board and Bedford Educators Association (BEA) and discussed at length at Tuesday night's annual Bedford School District deliberative session at Bedford High School.

It calls for an estimated increase of $729,048 for the 2014 fiscal year and another $860,857 for 2015.

The tax impact for the 2013-'14 budget is 21 cents per $1,000 assessed home valuation, explained school board member Cindy Chagnon.

That equates tax increases of:

• $53 for a $250,000 home
• $74 for a $350,000 home
• $104 for a $500,000 home
• $158 for a $750,000 home

To reach the agreement, Bedford teachers had to make significant concessions in terms of absorbing more benefit cost, specifically in regard to health insurance premiums.

Bedford School Board member Scott Earnshaw explained that the most recent collective bargaining agreement picked up where last year's deal left off, with representatives from the Bedford Educators Association agreeing to further increase their obligation in terms of health premiums, in exchange for a boost in salary.

"I think the main takeaways from this year's negotiation is we tried to continue the conversation we had last year in terms of targeted increases to be competitive with our peer districts," said Earnshaw, who provided several examples of areas that Bedford teachers and students excel beyond other local districts, in terms of academic assessments, class size and other quantitative and qualitative standards.

Prior to last year, the Bedford School District picked up 94 percent of all insurance plans. But during the 2012 collective bargaining process, teachers agreed to increase their share of insurance premiums from 6- to 12-percent.

This year, the BEA took its willingness to pick up health insurance costs a step further.

In fact, Chagnon, who joined Earnshaw at the negotiating table with the BEA, explained that teachers have saved the district roughly $112,000 by agreeing to take on a larger increase on each of the three health insurance plans offered, including up to 15-percent on the family option, which is the most expensive plan offered by the district.

Chagnon also explained that by signing a two-year collective bargaining agreement, the school board is taking on a model used by almost every other school district in the state.

Former NH State Rep. Ken Hawkins was the lone resident to speak on the matter. He stood and asked if such an agreement was legal, since the Supreme Court has ruled in the past that a governing body cannot indebt future citizens.

Legal council for the district explained that the Supreme Court has ruled that such a move is acceptable as long as voters are informed about the cost of future years prior to voting on the agreement.

For complete election coverage, including a list of candidates for elected positions, meeting dates and copies of both the town and school district warrants, check out our exclusive 2013 Bedford Voter's Guide here.

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