With the Olentangy Local School District (OLSD) and the Olentangy Teachers Association (OTA)’s most recent contract set to expire later this year, the two sides have reached an agreement to extend the contract for an additional year.

The OLSD Board of Education voted to approve the one-year contract extension on the deal, negotiated in 2o18, during Thursday’s meeting. By agreeing to the extension, the two sides are given another year to negotiate a new deal in what would normally be a contract year. With the extension, the contract is now set to expire on June 30, 2022, as opposed to this summer.

According to OLSD Treasurer Emily Hatfield, the extension enables the district to realize health care program savings that are estimated at more than $9 million. The teachers will continue to receive a 2.5% wage increase, as has been the case in years past, and all language in the contract will remain the same.

“Our teachers have gone above and beyond in serving students this past year,” Superintendent Mark Raiff said in a press release. “Their endless efforts have not gone unnoticed. Approving the continuance of the current contract agreement is in the best interest of the district, our valued teachers, and the students we serve together.”

OLSD Board of Education President Julie Wagner Feasel said of the extension, “The continuance of this contract allows the district to remain fiscally responsible and focuses everyone’s time, energy, and efforts on the rest of the school year.”

Elaine Eddy, who serves as the OTA president and represents the district’s 1,472 teachers, said, “This agreement is a reflection of those partnerships and the effort that has resulted in Olentangy consistently being ranked among the best school districts in the state.”