GALWAY — A new four-year teacher contract for teachers at Galway was approved Wednesday to be effective June, 30, 2020.
The contract was unanimously approved by the Galway Teacher’s Association and Galway Central School District Board of Education.
According to a news release, both parties believe the half perfect increase over the step average of under 2 percent for the next four years is believed to be a reasonable compromise that will benefit the teachers, students and community.
“We worked together over the months and there was give and take, but we reached a agreement,” Superintendent Shannon Shine said. “I believe 83 out of 86 teachers voted, so almost every teacher, and it was unanimous. And no one recalls a unanimous adoption by the teachers themselves, in my mind thats a sign that we have a fair agreement.”
The new contract will maintain a 15 percent contribution for health benefits. The teachers contribution dental insurance will be dropped from 65 percent to 44 percent.
“We need collective bargaining agreements to keep the peace and business flowing,” Shine said.
With teachers being the majority of the school’s staffing, Shine said he wanted to ensure they received a fair and equitable treatment.
“And as we develop over the year, our goals will guide us through the next years,” Shine said.
