Amherst teachers agree on new contract

The Amherst Central School District Board of Education and the Amherst Education Association representing the teachers have reached agreement on a one-year contract for the 2006-07 school year.

This one-year contract will add 0.9% to the teachers' salary schedule. The starting salary for a teacher with a bachelor's degree will change from $33,780 to $34,091. The median salary in 2006-07 will be $49,500. The District and the Association had previously agreed to go to a single health insurance provider (Independent Health). In this contract a flex-fit option was substituted for the Encompass Plan, which will save the district an additional $25,000 in health insurance premiums this year. The provisions of the contract will be retroactive to July 1, 2006.

After service credit and retirement savings, the net change in total teacher salaries is 2.6%.