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Board approves MOA to allow flexible wage placement for custodial hires
Summary
The board approved a memorandum of agreement with the Salem School Custodian Employees Association allowing supervisor discretion to place experienced custodial hires on the wage scale, a measure the district says helped improve hiring in food service this summer.
The Salem School Board on Aug. 19, 2025 approved a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Salem School Custodian Employees Association, NEA-New Hampshire, authorizing supervisory discretion to place experienced custodial hires on the wage schedule to improve recruitment.
Superintendent Mara Palmer and Assistant Superintendent Debbie Payne told the board the district saw stronger hiring results in food service this summer after using similar discretion to credit prior experience. Payne said the union supports the MOA; she identified Tom Ramsdell as the union president who negotiated the agreement.
Palmer described the process: hiring managers will consider prior experience when recommending a placement on the existing wage schedule, and the superintendent will review and approve the recommendation. When asked whether the change would be retroactive, administrators said the MOA's effective date will govern application and that the district intends to apply the discretion to hires made after the agreement is signed.
Board Vice Chair Bernie Campbell moved to approve the MOA; the motion passed 5-0. Administrators said the change is intended to help stabilize staffing and reduce overtime obligations while keeping placements within the negotiated wage schedule.
