By George P. Hassett

After two and a half years of negotiations the Somerville Teachers Association has agreed to a new three-year contract for city teachers that will increase their pay an average of 3 percent a year.

Ward 6 School Committee Member Paul Bockelman said the new contract is ‚Äúan agreement we can all be proud of‚Äù at Monday’s School Committee meeting.

The contract talks took so long that one of STA’s main negotiators, Linda Vitiello, retired from her teaching job before they finished last week. Vitiello, however, stayed on to negotiate the final contract and said it ‚Äúis a win for the kids, the teachers and the school system.‚Äù

Elementary school teachers will be guaranteed preparation time each full school day and there will be five fewer half-days for elementary students under the new contract.

Bockelman said the raises for teachers ‚Äúputs [Somerville] in a competitive place when we’re trying to hire new teachers.‚Äù

Also under the new contract, 20 children of city teachers who live outside the district will be allowed to enroll in Somerville schools, if space allows. ‚ÄúThat’s a testament to how good the teachers think our schools are. That we want our children in Somerville schools,‚Äù Vitiello said.

The new contract expires Aug. 31, 2011.