Groton — The Groton Board of Education on Monday approved a three-year contract with the Groton Education Association starting Sept. 1, 2016, that will provide general wage increases of 1.75 percent the first year, 1.5 percent the second year and 1.62 percent the third year.

Teachers who are not at the top of the pay scale will be able to earn step increases, or raises based on years of service, according to a settlement summary by attorney Floyd Dugas, lawyer for the district.

Step increases apply to about 40 percent of Groton's roughly 440 teachers, Superintendent Michael Graner said. 

The health plan for teachers will change. Teachers will pay a higher deductible for their health insurance — $2,000 for an individual or $4,000 for a family — but the board will provide 50 percent of that by setting up a health savings account.

Teachers will be allowed to keep the money in the account if they don't spend it, to save and use for future medical expenses.

"We worked as a team," Graner said of the union and school board. "There was really a lot of cooperation here between the teachers and the board." 

He said the district knew it had to get away from traditional health plans, which are becoming more costly, and teachers understood that. 

Graner also said he believes the added compensation to teachers was modest enough that the town would support it, but reasonable enough that teachers would feel compensated.

Beth Horler, president of the Groton Education Association, could not immediately be reached for comment, but attended the board meeting during which the vote was taken.

Contract negotiations started during the summer. Graner said it was remarkable that the two sides didn't have to go to mediation. Reaching an agreement without mediation happens only about 10 percent of the time, he said.

The contract makes several language changes. Teachers wishing to transfer to another school won't have go through the interview process again if the receiving principal agrees with the transfer, for example.

Regarding severance payments, teachers will have to notify the administration by Jan. 15 to receive a severance payment by June 30 of the same year. Otherwise, the severence will be paid by June 30 of the following year.

This gives the district more time to plan, Graner said. The contract also clarifies that additional credits must result in an additional degree or certification to move someone up on the salary scale. 

d.straszheim@theday.com

Twitter: @DStraszheim