The Brighton Board of Education has ratified a contract change for hourly workers in the Brighton Area Schools that calls for a 2% wage increase for the 2017-18 fiscal year.

The board approved the contract provision unanimously at its meeting last week. The membership of BESPA - the Brighton Educational Support Personnel Association – had already approved the contract overwhelmingly. BESPA involves about 100 secretaries, food service employees, para-professionals and ancillary service personnel. This year the workers will be in the fourth year of their five-year contract.

Superintendent Greg Gray tells WHMI that the hourly employees are a hard working group and deserve compensation that is commensurate with their work load. The district also reached tentative agreement with the Brighton Education Association, representing the district’s 300 teachers. That tentative agreement also includes a 2% pay increase. The teaching staff will be voting on the contract Aug. 28th and 29th, and the board will vote on it at its meeting on the 28th. (TT)