The Medford Teachers Association finalized terms of a new three-year contract with Medford Public Schools last month that will provide teachers with annual salary increases of 2 percent.

Highlights of the contract, which covers the current school year through the 2017-18 academic year, include new guidelines for professional development and salary advancement, the creation of a “study committee” to consider stipends for coaches and faculty who oversee extracurricular activities and a revised calendar that will kick off the school year before Labor Day.

Next school year, teachers will report Monday, Aug. 29, with classes beginning Tuesday, Aug. 30.

“By starting before Labor Day, it builds in extra calendar days to offset the loss of time from snow day cancellations and will ensure an earlier completion of the school year in June,” Superintendent of Schools Roy Belson said in a press release.

The contract increases the number of mandated professional development days for teachers. It also allocates funding to support graduate-level teacher education.

“Salary advancement will be based upon the earning of graduate credit from accredited institutions rather than in-house workshops,” the release states.

In addition to evaluating stipends for staff overseeing extracurricular activities, the contract calls for a study committee to “discuss how to increase students’ learning time going forward.” The committee will make recommendations on student scheduling, including how to coordinate schedules between Medford High School and Medford Vocational/Technical High School.

The Medford School Committee voted unanimously to approve the new contract last month after negotiations began last spring.

“The contract settlement was favorably received by the teachers,” said MTA President Charlene Douglas, who is also an MHS English teacher, in the press release. “They were especially happy with the expanded professional development options.”

SCHOOL COMMITTEE NOTES

The Medford School Committee’s Jan. 11 meeting was the first for newly elected Mayor Stephanie Muccini Burke and new members Mea Quinn Mustone and Kathleen Kreatz.

Meeting highlights included:

School nurses to carry naloxone

The committee voted unanimously to approve a protocol enabling school nurses to administer naloxone, a drug used to reverse opioid overdoses.

In December, 13 nurses and staff representing all district schools received training from Armstrong Ambulance officials on administering the drug, which is given via nasal spray.

The approved protocol, written by MPS Physician Kristen Goodell and district Supervisor of Health Services Toni Vento, follows guidelines established by the state’s Department of Health.

“Everything is clearly marked out for a school nurse to use if a person is suffering from an overdose and what steps to take to treat that,” Vento said.

Although Vento said the district does not anticipate students overdosing at elementary or middle schools, she said staff at all schools were trained in the event that a non-student overdoses on a school’s property.

“It’s rare that it happens,” Belson said, “but it’s not rare if it happens in your neighborhood or your school.”

Enrollment update

Updated enrollment data show an increase in the number of English Language Learner (students) entering the district.

According to a report on enrollment prepared by Belson, almost 8 percent of the district’s students are in the ELL program, while 23.5 percent of students have a first language other than English.

“We’ve had incoming families almost every day this year,” said ELL Supervisor Leslie Trotta.

Trotta said class sizes for beginner or “newcomer” ELL students are increasing, especially at MHS, where the ELL newcomer class has 22 students and just one teacher.

“If we get more kids, we have to figure this out,” Trotta said.

Belson said the district’s growing population of ELL students would be an important consideration come budget time.

“This is something we’ve got to plan for going forward because it is a growing area,” he said. “And there will be some tradeoffs.”

Other enrollment figures:

Overall district enrollment is 4,452, down from 4,514 last year.Students with disabilities make up 18 percent of enrollment.43 percent of students are considered “high risk” by state guidelines25.9 percent of students are considered economically disadvantaged based on revised guidelines from the federal government

Robotics Team donation

The Medford High School Robotics Team received a $2,200 donation to participate in the 2016 New England Regional Botball Tournament, which takes place April 30 in Lowell.

The donation was from Marthinus van Schoor, founder and CEO of Mide Technology in Medford. Van Schoor has donated funding to the team for five years.

Seven members of the MHS Robotics Team were in attendance at the meeting, along with district Director of Mathematics/Science Carolyn Joy.

“Last year, we came in second place,” Joy said. “So we’re looking for first place this year.”

Anonymous donation

Columbus Elementary School recently received an anonymous donation of $2,500.

Assistant Superintendent Diane Caldwell said the school plans to use the money to purchase additional e-reader devices.