South Portland board approves tentative agreement with support staff union over apprentice dispute

The South Portland School Department Board on reconvening approved a tentative agreement with the South Portland Educational Support Professionals Association resolving an apprentice dispute and authorized the board chair to execute the memorandum of agreement, voting unanimously.

The board took the action immediately after an executive session on the item. The motion to approve the tentative agreement was made by Miss DeAngelis and seconded by Miss Ratliff; the board voted in favor with a unanimous voice vote.

Board members did not detail the full terms of the agreement during the open session; the chair said the memorandum had been reviewed in executive session and that the chair was authorized to execute it on the board’s behalf. No dollar amounts, term lengths, or specific provisions were stated in open session.

The vote ends the publicly reported portion of a labor-relations matter described on the agenda as an apprentice dispute involving the district’s educational support professionals. The board signaled that the agreement will be executed by the chair following the formalities described in executive session.

The board did not provide additional public documents or a summary of the agreement during the meeting; the chair or district staff would need to publish the memorandum or a summary for further public detail.