The Contoocook Valley School Board and Contoocook Valley Education Association (CVEA) are pleased to share that they have reached an agreement on a one-year extension of the collective bargaining agreement.
The extension will take effect July 1 and last through the 2021-2022 school year, concluding on June 30, 2022. The extension of the contract will appear on the March 2021 warrant to be voted on by the nine ConVal communities.
“I’m grateful for the spirit of cooperation that led to this agreement,” Superintendent Kimberly Rizzo Saunders said. “The process that led to an extension through the next academic year is a reflection of the fact that our first priority — both as a district and as educators — is ensuring our students’ get the education they deserve by focusing on their needs above all during this challenging time.”
The agreement is the result of a shared understanding by the district and its educators that the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the landscape of education, resulting in unprecedented working conditions and an uncertain landscape in the years ahead. The one-year extension allows for wage increases for teachers and specialists in the earlier stages of their careers, as well as continued competitive pay for more experienced educators, paraprofessionals and specialists who have served the ConVal community.
“The CVEA’s negotiations team collaborated with the Conval School Board to present a fair contract to our member-educators and the voting public in our school community,” said CVEA Negotiations Team Chair Greg Leonard. “We believe that we have achieved that through this agreement.”
The district and CVEA will resume the work of negotiating a more holistic, longer-term collective bargaining agreement in the future.
