By Angelo Lynn, Addison Independent
The boards of Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union and Otter Valley Unified Union District ratified a three-year contract with the educational support staff and bus drivers, according to RNESU Superintendent Kristin Hubert, at a meeting on Dec. 7. The boards continue to hone the school district’s proposed 2023-24 fiscal year budget.
The contract is the first multi-year contract ratified in many years by the board and the association representing the workers. Having a multi-year contract brings stability and consistency for the districts, Hubert said, adding that it “provides the districts with the ability to better budget for expenditures.”
In the first year of the contract (FY2023) there is a wage increase of 8.20%, she said, “along with a one-time payment adjustment to correct the bus drivers’ salary schedule recognizing years of service and experience and providing a consistent salary scale.”
In the remaining two years of the agreement, the parties have agreed to 4% per year pay increases, she said.
The board is expected to finalize various aspects of the upcoming school year’s budget at its next meeting. Earlier reports had put the proposed spending increase at about 10.7%, though that could be trimmed as state aid and other budgeting factors come into view in January. District residents will vote on the budget on Town Meeting Day this coming March.
