Hot topic: Voters will decide whether to approve a new three-year teachers’ contract. The contract would replace the current contract, which had two years left before it would be up for negotiation. School officials have said the contract will save the district $274,861 in health insurance, salary and benefits costs next year by changing the base health insurance plan to include a deductible. The district currently pays 92 percent of their employees’ insurance premiums, and teachers pay a $5 co-pay when they go to a doctor. Under the new plan, the district will pay 100 percent of the insurance premiums, meaning no money will come out of a teacher’s paycheck for their health care.
The district will also pay up to 50 percent of the deductibles, which ranges from $1,000 for a single payer to $3,000 for a family plan, with any amount over to be picked up by the employee. If teachers want to stay on the current plan, they’ll have to pay around $8,000 in premium differences.
Another major change is the scheduled salary percent increases. The current contract would have included a 2.5 percent increase for teachers during the 2017-18 year; in the new contract, teachers would see a 2 percent increase each year, including next year, for the duration of the contract. For the last two years of the current contract, Hopkinton teachers got 2.5 percent salary increases; in the first year, they received at 2.9 percent increase.
Budget: The budget committee’s proposed operating budget is $19.6 million, up 5.28 percent from last year’s $18.5 million approved budget. The Hopkinton school board recommends this article.
If approved, the tax rate will go up 57 cents per $1,000 assessed property value, which is about $114 on a $200,000 home.
Noteworthy articles: Article 5 will ask voters to raise $100,000 for a general contingency fund in the event of any unanticipated expenses that may arise during the school year.
Contested races: There are two three-year positions available on the school board. Incumbent Elizabeth Durant will be defending her position against Aviva Neftler and Matt Belanger.
When and where: The town meeting will be held Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Hopkinton Middle/High School. Ballot voting will be Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Hopkinton Middle/High School.
Caitlin Andrews