By: Andrew Coen
According to Dr. Peter Weber, Hewlett-Woodmere assistant superintendent for business, the new contract includes a 3.22 percent increase for this school year. Salary increases for the remaining three years of the contract are unknown since they will be determined based on the salary scales of other Nassau County schools.
Dr. Weber said the district wants to have their teachers remain, as a group, the sixth highest paid among Nassau County's 56 school districts.
"It was a fair and equitable contract," Joan Skroneck, Hewlett-Woodmere Faculty Association president, said in a phone interview.
Under the new contract, District 14 teachers agreed to increase their contribution to their health insurance plans from 85 percent to 90 percent, according to Weber. Health insurance costs have been increasing in many school districts and is up 8 percent from last year, Weber said.
"This shows the teachers' recognition of the rising health insurance costs and how they need to help shoulder it," said Weber.
Other changes in the new contract, according to Weber, include having Hewlett High School teachers become more available for extra help as well as adjustments to the process of how teachers are evaluated for tenure and a mentor program for new faculty.
"After long and difficult discussions, we are pleased to have reached an agreement that is in the best interest of the students, the community and the teachers," school board president Howard Weinick said in a prepared statement.
According to Weinick, the two key issues from the district's perspective that were central in reaching an agreement were assuring that all students in the high school have access to extra help and an increased contribution from the teachers toward the cost of health insurance.
"We continue to be very proud of the work and dedication of our teachers," he said.
After a regular meeting on Oct. 20, the next Hewlett-Woodmere school board work session meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. at the Woodmere Education Center. The work session will be followed a week later by a regular meeting of the Board of Education, on Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 8 p.m., also at the Woodmere Education Center.
