WEST HAVEN — The City Council has approved a new three-year contract for West Haven’s public school teachers, covering Sept. 1, 2027, through Aug. 31, 2030.
The vote came at a special meeting Monday, Nov. 2, in the Harriet North Community Room at City Hall, 355 Main St. The contract, between the Board of Education and the West Haven Federation of Teachers, Local 1547, AFT-CIO, was the only business on the agenda. Milford Voice previewed the agreement when it first came before the council in late October; on Nov. 2 the council moved it from the Education Committee to the full council and took it up there.
How the council voted
The roll call was 10 in favor, none opposed. Councilman Ronald Quagliani abstained, and Councilwomen Sarah Ackbarali and Katherine Tucker were absent, according to minutes filed with the city clerk Nov. 5. Voting yes were Meli Garthwait, Peter Rivera, Sean Ronan, Anne Heffernan, Nancy Tagliatela, Gary Donovan, Edward McMillian, Dawn Callahan, David Beaton and Chairman Christopher Vargo Jr.
The minutes are still subject to the council’s approval.
What it could cost
Asked by Vargo about the budget impact, Superintendent Neil Cavallaro said the contract would add $2.2 million to $2.5 million in each year of the deal, based on current staffing and assuming no one leaves or retires. He told the council he expects several retirements over the life of the contract, and said the district is also looking at technology for possible savings.
Councilman Donovan asked what $2.5 million would mean for the mill rate. Acting Finance Director Dave Taylor estimated a little more than half a mill, but said he did not have an exact figure.
The minutes say the superintendent, the mayor and council members also had an extended discussion about the long-running disagreement over the Board of Education’s funding.
Who spoke
Mayor Dorinda Borer spoke in favor of the contract and recommended a yes vote. During the public session, Kristen Malloy-Scanlon, president of the West Haven Federation of Teachers and School Nurses, Local 1547, read a statement into the record while Board of Education members, staff and teachers stood with her. The minutes do not include the text of her statement.
The meeting started at 6:06 p.m. and adjourned at 7:06 p.m. The new contract begins Sept. 1, 2027.
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