At their special meeting on July 6, the Moorestown Township Public School District Board of Education voted 9-0 to adopt a new three-year agreement with the Moorestown Education Association. The contract will go into effect this month.
Members of both entities engaged in a series of meetings over the last six months which yielded a fiscally and operationally sustainable agreement allowing the district to maintain a high-quality educational experience for all students. Efficiencies were obtained by restructuring the Health Insurance Relief Fund, improving the structure of the salary guide, and meeting minimum wage requirements within the overall settlement amount.
Recognizing the challenges in recruiting and retaining educators in this current economic environment, both entities agreed that making reasonable adjustments for salaries of seasoned teachers will help retain staff. These increases were needed to ensure that compensation for Moorestown teachers is competitive with pay rates in the region.
With fewer teachers graduating from university education programs, the district is committed to remaining competitive when attracting new teachers to work in Moorestown schools. The salary of a first-year teacher with a bachelor’s degree will increase from $50,250 in 2021-2022 to $55,581 by 2024-2025.
Also, the agreement includes increases in compensation for paraprofessional positions. These roles are often hard to fill and provide critical support to students making this a priority during negotiations.
“This was a complicated process that required significant time and effort from all involved to balance all of the pieces,” said Board President Mick Weeks. “We are pleased that the MEA and BOE were able to come to an agreement that prioritizes student experience, offers stability for the community, and continues to compensate our educational professionals appropriately and fairly.”
