School support staff within the Horizon School Division are satisfied after a new contract was ratified on June 6.

The deal, retroactive to September 1, 2015, will run until August 31, 2019.

On May 16, the HSD and CUPE Local 4799, which represents support staff, agreed to the new deal, which has a major highlight, according to President of the union, Marie Moore.

"Reaching wage parity within our own school division," she said. "When we entered into amalgamation in 2006, there was quite a discrepancy between what side-by-side workers would be earning. By the end of this agreement, we will finally reach wage parity, so we're really quite excited about that."

Moore added that negotiations with the school division went off without a hitch.

"We were happy that it went as smoothly as it did and we were able to reach an agreement between the two parties. We can now focus more on providing support for students within our division."

While teachers rightfully get plenty of credit for educating students, support staff play a major role within each school as well, says Moore.

"Support workers in the education system do that. They support all parts of the organization, whether it is in the office, or library, or ensuring that the school is clean and safe for our students. It is really all about supporting education."

Secretaries, caretakers, librarians, educational assistants and maintenance workers are among the support staff that will benefit from the new contract.