NORTHAMPTON — The School Committee has approved a new three-year contract with Northampton Public Schools teachers and school staff, some five months after the two sides reached a tentative agreement.
The deal approved last week calls for Northampton Association of School Employees members to receive 3% cost-of-living adjustments for salaried staff in each year of the contract, with hourly employees getting a 4% increase each year. There are about 290 salaried staff and 155 hourly employees in the union.
NASE originally proposed 6% COLA raises for teachers, with the school’s negotiating committee countering with a 2.75% COLA for the first two years and a 2.5% raise in the third year for salaried staff.
The pact brings to an end a contentious period of negotiations between the two sides that included a work-to-rule action in May in which staff stopped doing voluntary work not strictly required by the terms of their contract.
“We are grateful that the school committee members are appreciative of what we do,” NASE President Andrea Egitto said in an interview. “It’s a modest increase, but one we feel is good for our staff.”
According to the salary schedule listed in the contract, teachers in the district can annually earn as low as $52,598 and as high as $105,251 in fiscal year 2026, depending on experience and accreditation. In the last year of the contract, that range increases to $55,801 to $111,660 per year. Teachers also have the potential to earn more once they’ve reached the highest step in the salary schedule, as a result of COLA increases.
Also new in the latest contract is the introduction of family medical leave for all NASE staff. Under the terms of the contract, eligible NASE staff will be provided with limited paid leave for up to two weeks for qualifying reasons under Family and Medical Leave Act, such as caring for a family member with a health condition. All NASE staff with at least one year of employment are eligible for this benefit.
“That was really important to us,” Egitto said of the benefit. “It’s a good start, but we’re hoping it’s a small step towards what other municipal workers in the state receive.”
Another request for half-days every Wednesday of the school year for students, with teachers using the remaining part of the day for meetings and other work such as curriculum planning, was not included in the new contract.
NASE is divided into several units, with Unit A representing teaching staff within the school district as well as librarians, guidance counselors, nurses, school psychologists and physical therapists. Other groups include administrative staff, who are also salaried, as well as paraprofessionals, custodial staff and cafeteria workers, who are paid an hourly wage.
Emily Serafy-Cox, a member of the negotiating subcommittee for the contract, said she was glad to be able to work with NASE to ratify a contract that would help the district’s lowest-paid employees as inflation continues to serve as an obstacle to meeting the cost of living.
“We’ve made great strides towards getting hourly staff to a living wage,” Serafy-Cox said in an interview with the Gazette. “We also hope to utilize this contract to help retain educators.”
Serafy-Cox also noted that although the previous contract expired in June, the two sides had reached a tentative agreement in May 2025, before the contract was set to expire.
“I think that speaks to the level of collaboration we have built together,” she said.
Though approved by the school committee, the contract had yet to be signed and ratified by the city and NASE as of Friday. But Egitto said NASE would work quickly to hold a vote to solidify the deal.
“Our members are definitely anxious to get this ratified and in effect,” Egitto said.