Board of Education reaches tentative agreement with teachers union

Stonington — Board of Education Chairwoman Gail MacDonald said Wednesday that the board has reached a tentative agreement with the teachers union on raises and benefits in the fourth and final year of their current contract.

MacDonald said she could not yet release details of the deal because it has not been formally approved by the teachers and board.

She said that once a memorandum of understanding is in place she would be able to discuss the details. She said she expects to release that before the school’s board’s Nov. 8 meeting.

If the two sides had not reached an agreement, they would have entered arbitration Friday.

The current four-year contract calls for the two sides to negotiate raises and benefits for the 2013-14 school year.

Under terms of the current contract, teachers worked without a raise in 2010-11, received an average raise of 2.8 percent in 2011-12 and 2.9 percent in 2102-13. Teachers have paid the same amount towards their health insurance and co-payments for the past four years.