Tom Tolen / news@whmi.com


The Brighton Board of Education this week ratified a 3-year contract with the employee group representing district support employees. BESPA - The Brighton Educational Support Personnel Association - had been the only remaining school district union without a contract.

Meeting Wednesday night in special session, the board unanimously approved a contract that had earlier been ratified by the union. BESPA, with roughly 105 members, had been without a contract since expiration of the old agreement on June 30th. BESPA includes food service workers, secretaries, para-professionals, and maintenance employees.

The economic terms of the contract are identical to those approved last week by the Brighton Education Association, which represents 339 district teachers, and BASAA, the administrators’ union. It includes a 3.5% pay hike the first year, and 2.5% wage increases the second and third years.

BESPA President Stephanie Roth, a BAS special education para-pro, told the board, in her words, “Thank you for a cooperative, collaborative negotiation process….(and for) recognizing and valuing the support staff of the Brighton Area Schools.”

Brighton Superintendent Matthew Outlaw tells WHMI, again quoting, “We (also) appreciate the cooperative, collaborative atmosphere of the contract process and look forward to a continued, good working relationship with BESPA in the future.”

As of the unaudited fall enrollment count, Brighton had 5,870 students in grades K-12, an increase of 31 students over last year at this time.