By Linda Seida, Staff Writer
NEW HOPE — Teachers in the New Hope-Solebury School District have a new contract that provides a pay increase of close to 6 percent over three years.
Teachers will receive a 1.5 percent raise for the current school year. They will receive a 2 percent increase in each of the next two years.
The previous contract had included pay increases of 2.75 percent for each year of the five-year deal.
As in other school districts — including South Hunterdon in West Amwell (New Jersey) — teachers will pay for some of the cost of their health benefits, saving the district a little more than $700,000. That will offset the approximately $1.25 million in salary increases, according to the district.
However, New Jersey has mandated contributions to health benefits at 1.5 percent of teachers’ salaries. This is less than what New Hope-Solebury teachers have agreed to.
In a change this year, retirees will lose health insurance benefits after seven years. However, educators who retired last year will be grandfathered. Seven teachers retired last year, allowing them to receive the grandfathered benefit.
The Board of Education approved the deal last week. The teachers union agreed last month.
Teachers had worked without a contract since the expiration of the old agreement on June 30.
Under a new health insurance policy that goes into effect March 1, teachers will pay more to see their primary care doctor, going from a $5 co-pay to $10. They also will pay twice as much to visit a specialist, with the co-pay going from $10 to $20.
The percentage of health-care costs to be paid by teachers is based on salary, also beginning March 1.
Teachers will pay 8 percent of the cost if their salary is more than $70,000; beginning July 2012, these teachers will pay 10 percent.
Teachers who earn less will pay 7 percent, but the percentage will increase to 9 percent in July 2012.
