Teachers in Nassau County's largest school district are now working with a contract for the first time in over a decade.

The Hempstead Union Free School District held a meeting at ABGS Middle School Wednesday where teachers and the board were able to come to an agreement.

"We finally got it done, and I just want to say, first of all to apologize to our teachers, because it took this long to get the contract settled," says Regina Armstrong, superintendent of the Hempstead Union Free School District.

Armstrong admits that there was an unfair process to Hempstead's teachers.

The conditions agreed to provide those teachers with a new 12-year contract that gives them a raise, an issue that was a sticking point in negotiations.

"The cost of things continue to rise and when your salary is stuck, it makes it difficult," says Dr. Laurie Hamilton, member of the Hempstead Classroom Teachers Association.

Hamilton, who has been a teacher for 15 years, says salary was the biggest complaint from teachers.

One board member says he hopes the agreement goes a long way in improving teacher morale.

"It has been challenging not being with a contract, watching neighboring districts kind of move ahead financially," Hamilton says. "It's the love and the commitment that we have for our community that keeps us here."

The contract also includes an agreement on how much teachers will have to contribute to their health insurance and when they can call out sick.