By MADDY VITALE
The Board of Education and the Ocean City Education Association (OCEA) have approved a three-year contract that covers more than 200 school district employees.
Members of the association ratified the agreement Tuesday, Oct. 17. At its public meeting Thursday, Oct. 19, the school board voted to approve it.
“We are pleased to have reached agreement more than eight months before the current contract ends,” Board of Education Vice President Joe Clark, chair of the Negotiations Committee, said in a news release Monday. “That is evidence of the dedication that our staff members have toward their work, and of the respect the board and administration have for them.”
The contract is effective July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2027. It includes a salary increase of 3 percent per year, which is at or below the state and county averages for current contracts, according to Ocean City School Business Administrator Tim Kelley.
Kelley said the salary and benefits package in the contract reflects “not only the skills and commitment of current staff members, but also the need to attract and retain quality employees in the highly competitive job market.”
The OCEA represents more than 200 teachers, nurses, guidance counselors and Child Study Team professionals.
According to Kelley, the average median salary for a teacher in the OCEA union is $94,445. He noted that the most recently reported median salary in the 2022-2023 NJDOE taxpayer guide to educational spending (https://www.nj.gov/education/guide/2023/) is $97,804 for teachers statewide.
In the news release, OCEA President Mary Beth Libro said that the association believes “in collaboration and open communication for the betterment of not just our staff, but also our students and community.”
“Working with the school board proved a positive experience for all, and we look forward to more opportunities to work together in the near future,” added Libro, a teacher in the Ocean City Primary School.
