MIDDLETOWN — Wages for teachers will increase 14 percent over three years, giving them the third-highest base pay among Butler County's 10 school districts.

        A three-year contract between the Middletown Board of Education and the Middletown Teachers Association was approved by the board Monday and ratified by the association Feb. 8. The agreement is retroactive to July 1 and expires June 30, 2004.

        “Retaining and attracting the best teachers to Middletown in order to further the district's goal of increased academic achievement requires a base salary that is competitive with other school districts,” said Dr. Mark Frazer, president of the Middletown Board of Education. '

        With about 7,700 students, Middletown is the fourth-largest district in the county behind Lakota, Fairfield and Hamilton.Before the contract's approval, salaries for entry-year teachers were third-highest in the county, a study done by the district shows. Under the agreement, teachers with a bachelor's degree and no experience will earn $27,511 annually, a 5 percent increase over last year's $26,201 salary. Only the Lakota Schools, with a base salary of $28,920, and the Fairfield Schools, with a base salary of $27,767, pay their entry-year teachers more, according to the study.

        The contract calls for a 5 percent base increase in 2002, bringing salaries to $28,887 and a 4 percent increase in 2003, to $30,042 annually.

        “Now that the task of negotiating is finished, I hope that every MTA member can join together in the effort that has always been our highest priority — providing a quality education,” said MTA President Carolyn Davidson in a note to the 559 professionals represented by the association.

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