Shall the District approve the cost items included in the collective bargaining agreement reached between the Merrimack School Board and the Merrimack Educational Support Staff Association which calls for the following net increases in salaries and benefits at the current staffing levels over the amount paid in the prior fiscal year: Year Estimated Amount

2021-2022 $253,920

2022-2023 $257,813

2023-2024 $267,499

and further raise and appropriate the sum of $253,920 for the current fiscal year, such sum representing the additional costs attributable to the increase in salaries and benefits required by the new agreement over those that would be paid at the current staffing levels?

(Majority vote required).

(Recommended by the School Board Vote: 5-0-0).

(Recommended by the Budget Committee Vote: 12-0-0).

This article requests voters to approve a three (3) year collective bargaining agreement between the Merrimack School Board and the Merrimack Educational Support Staff for the 2021-2022, 2022-2023, and 2023-2024 school years.

Each year of the contract from 2021 to 2024 calls for a 3.25% pay increase and a 1% decrease in the amount the District contributes to the employees' health insurance based on the Access Blue-New England HMO plan.

In 2021-2022 the employee contribution based upon Access Blue-New England HMO plan will increase from 12% to 13%. In 2022-2023 from 13% to 14% and in 2023-2024 from 14% to 15%.

This will provide a savings of approximately $63,000 dollars per year to the District or $189,000 over the term of the agreement.

As you can see the District is making efforts, as it has in the past, to more appropriately share the rising cost of health insurance with the Support Staff while trying to keep hourly wages from falling behind other area districts. The Support staff is comprised of our custodians, mechanics, paraprofessionals, administrative assistants, kindergarten instructional assistants, library assistants, Title 1 Tutors, and food service personnel.

The School Board and Budget Committee both support this article for some of our hardest working and least paid employees and we hope you will also.

TAX IMPACT - $.07 cents increase per thousand or a total of $14.00 dollars on a 200K house.

This article has been recommended by the School Board and the Budget Committee.