School officals say the East Bridgewater Public School’s teacher contracts will benefit  not only for the teachers, but the students as well.

Students will benefit from the contract with new schedules next year, said School Committee Chairwoman Elizabeth Hayes. The schools will be working towards the three year plan of adding more learning time.

The middle school is currently classified at the elementary level with under 900 hours.

The middle school will be given 10 minutes of additional instruction each day. Start times at the Gordon W. Mitchell Middle School have changed to 8:20 a.m. to work in the additional instruction. The high school will be eliminating studies in the fall and will be meeting their time on learning requirements.

“In addition we negotiated contract language, revolving tuition reimbursement and the increase over the next three years,” said Hayes. “At the end of the three years, there will be 90 more hours each year that students will be in class.”

The details of the East Bridgewater Education Association Collective Bargaining Agreement are: a two percent raise for the first year, a one percent raise at the mid-point and a two percent raise on the first day of the year and a two percent on the last day.

The contract cost the district $100,000 less than expected, and School Committee member George McCabe asked if the money could be used towards rehiring a high school teacher and an elementary aide. He felt it was important to address a teacher at high school because of NEASC or one aide for the reading program.

“The Superintendent needs direction from us about hiring teachers,” McCabe said.

“We’ve got to remember we still have four more contracts we need to negotiate,” said School Committee Vice Chairman Thomas Hamilton.

“The bulk is in that contract,” said McCabe. “It’s the largest by far.”

“I’m really frightened when the information is sent out to NESC about cutting the teacher,” he said.

“I think there is at least $100,000 freed up by the teacher contract, we should be able to get a teacher and one and half aides,” said McCabe. “I don’t want to see that money held and hoarded until the end, and used for pre-buying. I want to see it for the kids.”

Many of the members felt that they didn’t have enough information. Superintendent Margaret Strojny told the committee it would be best to check with each principal in case their needs have changed, and she said she would be able to do that for them.

Board of Selectmen Chairman David Walsh sent the board a letter asking them to wait on ratifying the contract. For full story, see page 13.