HADLEY — Educators who work with the most vulnerable students in the Hadley public schools are getting a pay increase as the result of recently completed mid-contract negotiations between the Hadley Education Association and school and town officials.

The 20 or so education support professionals, or ESPs, will see both an increase in hourly pay, retroactive to the beginning of last school year, and longevity bonuses, ithrough the agreement that will be in effect through June 30, 2025.

Christine Markowski, the education support professional representative on the union’s bargaining team, said the School Committee recognized the impact of low wages on the district’s ability to fill ESP jobs with qualified candidates and to retain current educators.

“The need kept growing every year,” said Markowski, who is also a member of the union’s executive committee.

In the agreement, pay rates that had been set at $17.31 per hour for all entry-level positions are going up. Now, those coming to the school system without a bachelor’s degree will begin at $17.66 an hour, and those with bachelor’s degrees or higher will start at $18 an hour.

Also, those who have worked in the district for 10 years will receive an extra stipend of $250, and $500 at 15 years. The contract also includes stipends for ESPs who have specialized training.

Ken Richards, president of the Hadley Education Association, said he and Hadley Superintendent Anne McKenzie supported Markowski and the School Committee in developing a solution to a systemic problem that has challenged numerous districts across the state.

“The town, superintendent, union and School Committee all worked together on this problem,” Richards said, adding that the negotiations to reach the deal were “honest and straightforward.”

“The School Committee recognizes and values the hard work of our ESPs,” said School Committee member Christine Pipczynski. “We really wanted to find a viable solution to show that we respect their work and dedication to our students.”

Markowski, who has been an ESP for 13 years, said that the job itself has changed over the past few years, which is something the school district leadership has noticed.

“There are a lot of students who need support for behavior issues, and it’s becoming a bigger issue in the younger grades,” Markowski said. “This was a good-faith effort to take a first step on fixing the problem.”

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.