The Cheshire Board of Education approved a three-year collective bargaining agreement for Cheshire paraeducators, lunchroom and playground aides, hall monitors and study hall monitors covering July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028. The board authorized the superintendent to sign the contract on its behalf. Why it matters: the agreement changes starting wages, clarifies seniority and grievance timelines, and alters health-plan options in later years for a bargaining-unit group of roughly 190–200 employees. District staff said the parties exchanged 78 proposals (38 from the board, 41 from the union), negotiated 50 proposals successfully, rejected 27 and withdrew one. The presenter described the contract term as retroactive to July 1 and running through June 30, 2028. Key financial and benefits changes described in the meeting record include: a noticeable increase in starting wages driven largely by Connecticut minimum-wage increases; reported starting rates included $17.25 per hour for lunchroom/playground aides, $18.00 per hour for paraeducators and hall monitors, and a listed rate of $25.18 for a category identified in the transcript as "ADBACI/ADABCI" (term used in the meeting record). The presenter cited an estimated annual budgetary impact of about 6.4% for the coming school year. On medical benefits, the board-held contribution and deductibles were described as unchanged; employee premium share was stated as 19 percent, with a wellness incentive that can reduce that share if employees complete three wellness components. The presenter said that effective year two of the contract the PPO and HMO options will be eliminated and the high-deductible health plan will be the remaining option for the unit (the transcript noted the teachers’ union is phasing out PPO/HMO a year later). The contract also clarifies seniority language for position transfers, extends grievance submission time from five to 15 days, and distinguishes groups for early dismissal tied to professional development requirements. On retirement/pension arrangements, staff said employees hired before 2015 were eligible for the town pension plan, while employees hired after that date are enrolled in a defined-contribution plan; a presenter referenced roughly 190 employees in the bargaining unit and estimated about 110 of a subgroup but did not provide a precise breakdown of hire dates. The board approved the motion on the record and the presenter closed with a request that the superintendent sign the agreement. Discussion vs. decision: the meeting included presentation of negotiation outcomes and board questions about budget impacts and staffing retention; the formal action was approval of the three-year collective bargaining agreement and authorization for the superintendent to sign. Ending: The board approved the contract; the transcript records multiple clarifying questions from board members about budgeted impacts, the pension structure and sick-day accruals, but does not include the full contract text or exact dollar totals for the district budget impact beyond the 6.4% annual impact estimate.