WINDHAM – The Windham-Raymond School Board and teachers union have hammered out a new three-year contract.

While there are no step increases based on years of experience, the contract raises teacher pay 2 percent across the board for each of the next three years. Regarding health benefits, Raymond teachers will continue to contribute at the same rate but Windham teachers will see a slight decrease, according to Donn Davis, assistant superintendent and chief negotiator for the district. The contract takes effect at the end of August.

The relative disparity comes about since the two towns were previously working under separate contracts prior to school consolidation in 2008.

“Obviously it’s a mutually agreeable settlement, particularly where you’re bringing two diverse contracts together. So we’re pretty happy about that,” Davis said.

According to Roger Young, co-president of the Sebago East Shore Education Association, which represents both Windham and Raymond teachers, the contract’s salary increase of 2 percent was “in the range of affordability.”

“In these days and times, I think it’s a decent contract for both sides,” Young said. “Most members are happy we have an agreement. They’re happy to have some money coming their way and happy they’ll keep and be able to afford their health insurance.”

Young explained that contract negotiations had been ongoing since last August. He said the main difficulty was aligning the two existing contracts that were negotiated prior to consolidation in 2008. The previous Windham teachers contract, he said, was weighted more toward salary and less insurance. Raymond teachers, on the other hand, were paid relatively less but had better benefits than their Windham counterparts.

“So, that’s why it was difficult finding a middle ground without creating losers,” Young said.

He said the district is anticipating a rise in Anthem’s health insurance rates so “salary gains were mostly eaten up by health insurance increases,” Young said.

Young, as well as representatives for the district, said negotiations went well, contrary to current labor negotiations in other states, where tempers are flaring as governments try to limit tax increases.

“It was collaborative bargaining, not adversarial. We took a problem-solving approach where we tried to come up with solutions that met everyone’s needs,” Young said.

Superintendent Sandy Prince was satisfied with the contract results.

“There are few RSU that have settled their contracts because it’s been so challenging when two districts come together and form one contract,” Prince said. “I think it’s our culture, not that things are perfect, but we really try to work with people and problem-solve together.”