Ho-Ho-Kus June 27, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 3 Trustees, teachers ratify contract by Jennifer Crusco The Ho-Ho-Kus Board of Education and the Ho-HoKus Education Association have signed a new contract that will cover the next three academic years. The agreement, which was previously ratified by the association and finalized by the school board last week, calls for two percent raises for the certified teaching staff, nurse, and building service staff for 2012-13, 2013-14, and 2014-15. “Recent legislation has increased teachers’ contributions to the cost of their health benefits. In addition, the terms of the…agreement provide for an increase of instructional time in the middle school schedule. This will allow the administration to change the current seven period schedule (including lunch) to one that includes eight periods per day. More time will be scheduled for core subject instruction, increasing from our current four days per week of 53minute classes to five days a week of 47-minute classes. We are excited about this change and see it as an improvement to our educational program,” Ho-Ho-Kus Board of Education President Ellen Marie Walsh wrote in a letter to borough residents. Commenting on behalf of the board, Walsh thanked the association’s committee members for their professional handling of the negotiations process. She also thanked the community members for their support. “It is the belief of the board that this settlement is reflective of the economic times and is fiscally responsible, which was the board’s major goal throughout the negotiations. The board is pleased that the negotiations process will be concluded prior to the expiration of the current contract. You will recall that the current contract was only settled last year,” Walsh added. Early in 2011, the board of education and the association ended two years of negotiations, reaching an agreement on a three-year contract. However, because that contract covered 2009-10, 2010-11, and 2011-12, the board and association had to return to the negotiating table in the fall of 2011 to hammer out the terms of the newly-announced contract. The previous contract called for pay raises of 3.4 percent for 2009-10, 2.28 percent for 2010-11, and 1.52 percent for 2011-12. The contract signed in 2011 resulted in a 40minute per week increase in instructional time, and a oneyear freeze on tuition reimbursement. Super experience Superintendent for the Day Lauren Orefice is pictured at her desk with Ho-Ho-Kus School Superintendent Deborah Ferrara. Orefice’s day as superintendent was one of the experiences offered as prizes at the Ho-Ho-Kus Education Foundation’s annual fundraiser.