The Brighton Board of Education has reached tentative agreement with two of the district's unions, including the Brighton Educational Support Personnel Association and the Brighton Area Schools Administrators Association. If the agreements are ratified at the next board meeting, the two groups will receive a 2% pay increase, according to Superintendent Greg Gray.

Also included in the contract: Gray says the district again will pay the employees for attending professional development classes that they need as part of their jobs. The tentative agreements were announced at Wednesday night’s board session, which was the only board meeting during the month of July.

BESPA includes about 65 secretaries, food service employees, para-professionals and maintenance personnel, while BASAA represents 25 district principals, assistant principals and directors. Those bargaining units, plus the Brighton Education Association –representing about 310 teachers – are all under multi-year contracts with annual wage reopeners.

Last year BESPA approved a 1-year extension in its contract, and therefore it won’t expire until Dec. 31st, 2020. Gray says the district has had only one negotiating session with the teachers’ union, but he doesn’t foresee any problems in reaching agreement. Just one meeting has been held so far, with the next bargaining session set for August 6. (TT)