Saratoga Springs school principals get retroactive pay raises in new contract [The Post-Star, Glens Falls, N.Y.]

Feb. 22--SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Spa City school principals will see their salaries rise nearly 10 percent thanks to retroactive pay raises under a new union contract, but they'll also be paying more for health insurance.

The five-year contract between the school district and the Saratoga Administrators Association was approved by the school board last week after three years of negotiations. It dates back to 2009, when the previous contract expired, and runs through the 2013-2014 school year.

The agreement includes retroactive raises of 3.5 percent for each of the past two school years -- raises the district said in a press release are less generous than those given to other unionized employees those same years.

The 18 principals, assistant principals and athletic director covered by the union will each receive a 1.5 percent raise this year and again next year, and 2 percent raises will follow in the 2013-2014 school year, according to the terms of the contract.

The employees must now foot 15 percent of their health insurance premium instead of 10 percent. Additionally, they will move to a health plan that, while cheaper overall, requires higher co-pays from the employees.

The school district had deemed health insurance concessions a priority in negotiations.

At the same time, however, the district will boost its contribution to individual retirement health insurance plans from 50 percent to 75 percent for administrators hired after 1995 with 10 or more years of service.

The total cost increase to the district as a result of the new contract couldn't be determined Tuesday.

Michael Piccirillo, the assistant superintendent of secondary education who will become district superintendent this summer, said he did not know. Kurt Jaeger, the assistant superintendent for business, could not be reached.

A tentative budget for the 2012-2013 school year will be presented next month, and a final budget will be voted on by residents May 15.

Regina Gapczynski, president of the school board, called the three-year negotiations with the administrators union "lengthy and intense" in a statement, and said the contract is "good for the bargaining unit, the school district and the community-at-large."

The district continues to negotiate a contract with the Teachers Association, which represents the district's instructional staff, Piccirillo said.

Their contract expired June 30 of last year.

More than 500 non-instructional district employees received a 1.5 percent raise last July and will again this summer under the contract between their union, the Civil Service Employees Association and the school district.

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