The Pennridge School Board and the teachers’ union have reached a contract agreement subject to approval from both sides.
Board President Dave Reiss announced the tentative deal during Monday night's meeting. Pennridge Education Association President Lydia Ramer-Hunter confirmed an agreement and said teachers will hold a ratification vote in the next two weeks. The school board will also have to vote to make it official.
The PEA's contract expired June 30. Neither side released details of the tentative deal.
Earlier this month, the board made public its most recent offer to the PEA. The five-year contract called for salary increases totaling 16.57%. The proposal calls for a 5.4% total wage increase during the first year of the deal and an average of 3.37% annually.
Not all teachers would receive the same pay increase; less experienced teachers would receive more than 5.4%. More experienced teachers would get less than that.
Under the previously released offer, the starting salary would increase 13.3% to $51,000 in the first year and go up to $56,000 in the final year. The top salary would increase to $112,333, which is above the county average, according to the district, and go up to $116,035 in the last year of the pact.
The district says the average salary for a Pennridge teacher would reach $101,763 by the final year of the deal.
Teacher contribution to medical benefits would stay the same (14%) in the first year, then increase by a half-percent each year, eventually reaching 16% by the final year. The annual deductible ($450 for an individual and $900 for a family) would remain the same until Year Three, when it would increase to $600/$1,200 and stay the same for the duration of the deal.
The PEA responded with an overview of its counter-proposal, saying its “single goal” during negotiations was “a contract that attracts and retains excellent professional staff members to serve students in Pennridge schools.”
Without needed changes, the PEA said, “we can expect the continued drain of our current staff and diminished ability to attract talent to commit to a career teaching our students.”
While acknowledging progress on some issues at the time, the PEA said the two sides had gaps to bridge concerning the salary scale and healthcare cost shifting, preparation time for middle school and high school teachers, and after-school meetings and extra responsibilities.
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