Shall the School District vote to approve the cost items included in the collective bargaining agreement reached between the Hampton School Board and the Seacoast Educational Association covering a one-year period from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022 which calls for the following increases in salaries and benefits at the current staffing levels over those paid in the prior fiscal year, and raise and appropriate the sum of $407,069 for the 2021-22 fiscal year, such sum representing the additional costs attributable to the increase in salaries and benefits required by the new agreement over those that would be paid at current staffing levels in accordance with the most recent collective bargaining agreement? (Majority vote required.)
What it means: These costs represent the increases negotiated by the School Board and the Seacoast Educational Association, representing 118 teaching professionals.
Those in favor say: Last year’s contract was not approved by the voters, so no teacher in Hampton received any pay raise. The contract immediately prior to last year called for 4 years at one-half of one percent raise, while neighboring schools were advancing in the range of 2% per year. Nevertheless, last year’s contract failed by 45 votes. Three days later, the schools were closed due to the pandemic. All teachers needed to pivot their entire methodology to accommodate both in-person and remote teaching. This required enormous effort, many hours and a great deal of patience from our teachers. While teachers have received high praise for what they have accomplished under very trying circumstances, the Hampton School District has fallen behind with regard to its pay scale, and we need to approve the contract to help Hampton to retain our excellent teachers. The total dollar amount that is requested this year is below that which was requested in last year’s (failed) by $26,000.
Those against say: No one spoke against this Article at the SAU 90 Deliberative Session.
Fiscal Impact: If Article 2 is approved, it will cause an increase in taxes of $43.27 for a home valued at $400,000. Take your property valuation divided by 1000 and multiplied by .108 to get your cost.