A three-year agreement with the Lindbergh National Education Association was approved last week by the Lindbergh Board of Education.

“The board is pleased to have reached an agreement that provides a three-year term,” board President Marla Dell stated in a news release. “This will allow us to more accurately plan the board’s finances, and provide financial stability. At the same time, this will keep the district in a competitive position to attract and retain the best teachers.”

Terms of the agreement include a three-year contract running through the 2005-’06 school year. The starting salary for beginning teachers for 2003-’04 in $32,250. Av-erage salary increases over the three-year period are 4.9 percent in 2003-’04, 4 percent in 2004-’05, and 3.9 percent in 2005-’06.

“In terms of spending, it is a matter of priorities,” Superintendent Jim Sandfort stated in the release. “Spending your first dollars in the classroom is where it counts most. Our philosophy remains to put the very best teachers in every classroom, every day. Given the latest state and federal mandates for achievement, this becomes even more important.”