Officials approve pact with schoolteachers

Thursday, August 24, 2006 Teachers will contribute to their health-care coverage for the first time. By SEAN BARRON VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT GIRARD — School officials voted to ratify an agreement between the Girard Board of Education and the Girard Education Association that will give teachers a new three-year contract, effective Saturday. Superintendent Joseph R. Jeswald said at Wednesday's board meeting that officials reached a tentative agreement earlier this month with the teachers association after a series of negotiations that began in early May. Built into the pact, which goes through Aug. 25, 2009, are annual raises for teachers over three years of 3.5 percent, 3 percent and 3.25 percent, Jeswald noted, adding that the teachers will contribute to their health-care coverage for the first time. Their original contract expired in 2004, but it was extended for two years with no salary increases, the superintendent said. Also In other business, Jeswald and school board members praised teachers and other school personnel for the district's receiving an excellent rating from the Ohio Department of Education's annual report card. The district was one of four in Trumbull County to receive such a mark; the county has 22 school districts. Also at the session, the board voted to set aside Monday to honor Jane A. Harris, who served for more than 20 years on the board. Her seat was vacated when she became ill last January and had to step down. She also served for more than 40 years as a teacher in the Weathersfield school district and worked for many years as a newspaper columnist, Jeswald said.