ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY — The Board of Education of Anne Arundel County unanimously approved a new contract with the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County on Monday night.
The agreement calls for Unit I employees to receive a step and a 6% cost-of-living adjustment.
This is separate from a previously announced agreement which called for starting teacher salaries by $8,000 to $58,161 beginning on July 1.
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“These two agreements are tremendous news for our teachers, our students, and our entire school system,” Board President Dr. Joanna Tobin said. “We have put an immense amount of time and energy into advocating for the critical need to increase compensation for our employees and it is an incredible relief to be on strong footing with all of our bargaining units prior to the start of the next fiscal year.”
Along with the agreement with the TAAAC, the Board also approved operating and capital budgets that will fund different priorities for the upcoming fiscal year.
The $1.65 billion budget contains $79.5 million in compensation increases for employees while addressing more than $20.6 million in mandates required by the Blueprint for Maryland's Future law and funding needs for three new schools, Old Mill West High School and West County Elementary School, both set to open in the 2024-2025 school year, and the Chesapeake Science Point Public Charter Elementary School, which will open in the upcoming school year.
Funding from the budget will also go towards extending the work day for teacher assistants by 30 minutes, providing Unit I special educators with a $2,000 bonus, increasing pay for substitute teachers, and giving a second consecutive 10% cost of living adjustment to contracted bus drivers.
Also funded are 45 positions to continue and enhance prekindergarten education for 3-year-olds as mandated by the Blueprint, 10 English Language Development teachers to address the needs of AACPS’ fastest-growing student population, six assistant principal positions, three school psychologists, three school social workers, two school counselors, two community ambassadors, and one pupil personnel worker.
The $200.6 million capital budget contains $132.4 million for major capital projects that include construction at the following schools, in priority order:
- West County Elementary School construction, $12.6 million
- Old Mill Middle School South construction, $37.3 million
- Center of Applied Technology – North construction, $58.4 million
- Old Mill Middle School North design/construction, $11.4 million
- Old Mill High School design/construction, $12.7 million
The Old Mill High School request is for a new facility on the school’s current Patriot Lane site and separate from the construction of Old Mill High School West, which is being built on the former Papa John’s Farm in Severn.
