GIRARD — The Girard Board of Education has ratified new three-year contracts that include pay raises with its teaching and nonteaching unions.

The board approved an agreement with the Girard Education Association effective Aug. 16, 2024, to Aug. 15, 2027, and an agreement with the Ohio Association of Public School Employees Local 425 effective July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2027.

Superintendent Bryan O’Hara said teachers will receive a 6% pay increase in the first and second years, and a 6.5% increase in the third year.

O’Hara said the nonteaching staff will receive 3% to 6.5% increases over the three years of the contract based on job position and years of service.

The teacher’s union represents 120 teaching staff. The nonteaching union represents 75 staff members.

Interim Treasurer Stacy Foster said the cost to the district for the pay increases will be $1.9 million over three years.

Board Vice President Vincent Ragozine said the school district’s finances are “solid and stable.”

“This has enabled the board of education to reward all of our staff members from both collective bargaining associations with affordable financial agreements to help employees offset recent cost-of-living increases and health care increases,” Ragozine said.

The comments received applause from employees at the meeting.

Board member Joseph Datchuk said when comparing Girard to 24 other school districts in Trumbull and Mahoning counties, the district is financially stable with cash investments of $29.8 million, the third highest of all districts in the two counties.

He said $7 out of every $10 the district receives goes to classroom instruction. The district’s enrollment is 1,570 students with $7,253 spent per student.

Datchuk said the district received a $388,600 safety grant last school year for security cameras and protective covering on main entrance doors and windows.

In other business, the board:

* Reported work is being done to replace the turf at the football stadium that has been there for 15 years. The work is being done by AstroTurf.

* Approved proceeding with upgrades for the public address system and alarm system at the K-6 campus.

* Hired Erica Wilson as a new full-time K-6 music teacher on a one-year contract, replacing Julia Jenick, who resigned for a career change.

* Approved John Foster as assistant athletic director and supervisor of the Girard Blended Learning Academy.

bcoupland@tribtoday.com