Brick School Board, Teachers Reach 4-Year Contract Agreement

BRICK, NJ — The Brick Township Board of Education and the Brick Township Education Association have reached an agreement on a four-year contract.

The memorandum of agreement, approved by the school board at Thursday’s meeting, is for a contract that will run from July 1 through June 30, 2025, and provides raises of 3.3 percent each of the first three years and 3 percent in the fourth year. It mirrors the contract that expires June 30, which had a 3.22 percent increase.

The average increase in teachers' salaries in Ocean County in the last year has been 3.5 percent.

The agreement was the result of lengthy discussions between the school board and the teachers’ union, officials said, and was developed “while being mindful of the ongoing financial challenges and the paradigm-shifting challenges of education during the ongoing pandemic.”

The four-year contract agreement offers stability as the district faces the financial stresses of the ongoing state aid cuts under S2, district officials said.

“Knowing our financial position for the next four years allows us to better navigate and continue to build upon our efforts on moving the district initiatives forward while maximizing the learning environment for our students,” Superintendent Thomas Farrell said.

The district is facing a potential cut of $5 million for the 2021-22 budget under S2, the law passed and signed in 2018 that requires state aid cuts for nearly 200 school districts that the state says are receiving more aid than they should be.

The state Department of Education contends Brick Township is not paying its fair share of property taxes to support its schools, which is why its equalization aid is being reduced. S2 also requires districts that are under adequacy — meaning they are spending less than what the state says is necessary to for a thorough and efficient education — to raise their property tax levy by 2 percent, which is the cap on tax levy increases yearly. Brick is significantly under adequacy and has been for several years.

“If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that we are stronger together,” Wohlrab said. “No matter what challenges present themselves, our teachers and staff continue to rise to the challenge, without hesitation.”

“They are professionals to the nth degree and this contract respects them as such,” she said. “This fiscally responsible contract provides the resources needed to educate Brick’s next generation while falling within the tax mandates imposed by the state.”

Puglisi, the president of the teachers union, said the process of negotiating the contract reflects “the mission statement of the BTEA … ‘Children and Community First.’ ”

“I am truly grateful for the opportunity to work together, particularly during these arduous times, in a positive manner and in the best interest of the district,” Puglisi said. “My sincere thanks to Board of Education President, Mrs. Wohlrab, the negotiation team of the Board, and central administration.”

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