BOE Approves Teachers and Superintendent Contracts

The Gloucester Township Board of Education on Monday unanimously approved a three-year teacher's contract that ends a nearly yearlong stalemate for a new agreement.

The board also approved a three-year deal for John Bilodeau to become the superintendent of schools. Bilodeau has been an interim superintendent for the past school year and was previously the district business administrator.

Board President William Collins said he was pleased the board approved both contracts.

"It was a first for us going through this new format of a 2 percent budget cap," Collins said. "I'm glad we got it done."

The teachers contract includes a pay raises of 2.5, 2.3 and 2.1 percent of annual salary per year. That works out to about $1,000 the first year, $900 and $800 increases over the three years.

Both sides will be back at the negotiating table in two years, however. The first year of the new contract is retroactive to June 2012.

Angel McDermott, the president of the Gloucester Township Education Association, the bargaining unit for the teachers said the contract was "bare bones" but fair.

Details on Bilodeau's three-year deal were not immediately reported and not included in the agenda.

District support staff, such as bus drivers and cafeteria workers, are still without a contract.

Several members of the Gloucester Township Support Professionals Association
turned out for Monday's board meeting. Marge Vallieu, the treasurer of the union said they are in the process of scheduling negotiating meetings with the school board, but they have been working without a contract for the last year, as well.

"Don't forget about us," Vallieu said.