At Superintendent Dr. Kimberly Shaver-Hood’s request, the School Committee voted on March 25 to increase some teachers’ salaries — and some administrators have also recently had their previously-negotiated salary increases reinstated.

The committee-approved salary increase will apply to teachers who fall into “Unit A” — which includes classroom teachers and specialists in art, music and physical education. Committee Chair Joyce Bacchiocchi said the agreement negotiated last year with Unit A teachers included a provision for a 1 percent salary increase starting at their 16th payday — halfway through the year.

Additionally, administrators in “Unit B,” such as assistant principals and coordinators of technology, “took a voluntary freeze as we began the school year,” Shaver-Hood explained.

“Due to the fact that we’ve been able to save money, [and] the number of grants that we’ve received, we’re in a much different situation than we were when we first started the school year,” Shaver-Hood said. 

She said the district negotiated with the Wareham Education Association and proposed implementing a 1 percent increase for the teachers in “Unit A” that would go into effect retroactively, starting Sept. 1, 2020.

Bacchiocchi said the administrators’ salary increase was recently reinstated as well.

“The teachers have worked incredibly hard,” she said, noting that the district was now in the financial position to increase teacher pay.

The increase was something that could be done “to show our appreciation,” Shaver-Hood said. 

The School Committee unanimously approved the proposed salary increase for teachers — though committee member Kevin Brogioli abstained. 

Shaver-Hood also expressed her appreciation for the district’s staff.

“I just want to thank the teachers and the assistant principals for their work,” she said. “This has been, certainly, one of the most unique and trying school years that we’ve ever experienced. And the spirit that they have come in and worked and supported our students is just nothing less than miraculous, so kudos to them.”

This story has been updated to reflect that a School Committee vote was not required to approve the salary increase for “Unit B” administrators.