UPDATED, June 23: After eight months of negotiations, the School Committee and the Arlington Education Association announced jointly on Friday, June 22, an agreement on a three-year contract that will cover the period from Sept. 1, 2018. to Aug. 31, 2021.

The agreement calls for a cost-of-living salary increases of 4.5 percent over the three years for current steps of the salary scale in all degree lanes; 6.75 percent for both bachelor's degree lanes on the added step and 10 percent on all master's degree lanes on the added step over the three years of the contract.

These additional steps are intended to bring the maximum Arlington salaries closer to the average salary of Arlington’s most comparable communities -- known as the “Town Manager 12 Communities” -- based on the results of the town salary study.

The agreement also makes changes to contract language to streamline processes for payroll, longevity and stipend payments, the use of personal days and sick days and retirement.

In addition, the parties amended the reduction-in-force language to align with recent statutory changes, updated the evaluation language, including a reduction in administrative paperwork and created a pilot process for kindergarten screening and school schedules.

Finally, the release says, the parties established joint committees to study the school calendar (including start dates and times), stipends and district technology.

The joint release came from Kathleen Bodie, superintendent of schools. The School Committee voted June 7 to accept the agreement.

Superintendent comments

Asked what the total amount of money that the first year of the new contract comes to, compared to the current year, Bodie responded that she did not know "until we complete all hires this summer. The money to settle all of the employee contracts is in the operating budget for next year." See the fiscal 2019 budget >> 

Asked for the number of AEA employees that the contract covers, she estimated at about 500 and said she could provide a specific number next week.

As to the delay in announcing the agreement in the light of the June 7 committee vote, she wrote: "The only reason ... is that this is a very busy time of the year and doing a collaborative draft during a busy time can be slow - and it was."

Asked whether the full contract will be available, she noted that it is a public document and will be on the state Department of Secondary Education website once it is ready for publication.

See links to the 2015-18 contract

This news announcement was published Friday, June 22, 2018, and updated June 23, to add Bodie comment.