Board OKs 3-year pact with teachers, 3% raises
The Spring-Ford Area School Board has approved a three-year contract between the district and its teachers’ union, the Spring-Ford Education Association.
Board member David Shafer abstained from the vote because his wife is a member of the teachers’ union.
The vote tally by the union membership was not revealed due to the union’s bylaws, according to Jackie Ritter, SFEA President.
She replied to a MediaNews group inquiry, through district spokesperson Erin Crew, that “the union vote was yes. As per SFEA Constitution and By Laws, ‘The vote tally should not be released to the public. The membership will be notified immediately of the status of the yes or no vote. Since we speak as one voice, we only share if the decision was a yes or no per the membership vote.”
Although the contract includes a step freeze in the first year, professional staff will see step movement in the second and third years.
A “step increase” relates to position and years of service and is usually applied on top of any base pay increases that will be applied to all steps.
After two requests for more information over the course of four days, the district revealed that teachers will receive a base pay raise in each of the three years of the contract.
According to information provided by Crew on Friday, teachers will receive a 2.3 percent raise in the first year of the pact, which begins on June 1; 3.4 percent raise in the second year and a 3.2 percent raise in the third year.
The contract features “an average increase of less than 3.34 percent a year over the next three years. This increase includes salary, health care benefits, and PSERS retirement benefits,” according to the press release Crew released Monday night.
The contract will “add roughly 3 percent per year” to the district’s personnel budget, according to school board member Tom DiBello, who is the personnel committee chairperson and lead negotiator,” Crew replied to an inquiry.
However, the administration was unable to provide a dollar figure for how much more money those raises will add to the district’s personnel budget over the next three years.
“There are too many variables that could come into play, from retirements to change of status, to project a specific dollar amount,” Crew wrote in response to MediaNews Group’s second request for the information.
It is perhaps worth noting that there are many variables and potential changes, including retirements, which were included in the draft school budget the board publicly reviewed at its last meeting and on which a vote is likely at the Feb. 22 school board meeting.
During the school board’s Feb. 8 meeting and in the press release Crew issued, all of those at the negotiating table praised the others.
“I would like to thank all those involved in the negotiation process, in particular, the lead negotiators and their committee for both the School Board and the SFEA,” Robert Rizzo, Spring-Ford assistant superintendent, said in the press release. “Thanks to their desire to work together, we’ve been able to reach an agreement during these difficult times. This helps us move forward as we continue to plan for upcoming years.”
DiBello shared the following statement: “During these extremely difficult times, we were able to have important, respectful and meaningful negotiations with the SFEA. We have amazing teachers who have been going beyond the call of duty trying their best to provide the best education possible for our students.”
School Board President Colleen Zasowski said, “I am appreciative of the collaborative efforts of the SFEA negotiating team along with members of the S-F administration and the board’s personnel committee. The respectful and productive negotiations will continue to move our district forward and build the trust needed to continue to grow positive energy at Spring-Ford. Thank you to all of our incredible teachers who have gone above and beyond during the pandemic,” she said.
Zach Laurie, lead negotiator from the SpringFord Education Association, said, “sometimes when districts and associations negotiate a contract, it can be a long, difficult, and damaging process that leaves both sides demoralized in the end. I am proud to say that Spring-Ford did not fall into that too-common pattern seen at many districts. Through open dialogue and a collaborative approach, we were able to work together to craft an agreement that is fair to all stakeholders in the SpringFord community.”
“SFEA looks forward to building upon this positive momentum with the school board to continue advancing our district and providing a top-tier educational experience for all SpringFord students and families,” Laurie said
“This school year has presented several challenges, but our members have continued to work incredibly hard to successfully support our students across multiple learning environments,” said Ritter.
“We appreciate the board’s recognition of these efforts through their willingness to collaborate with us to come to this fair agreement. I am grateful for the partnership of the School Board Personnel Committee, the SFEA Negotiation Committee, and the SpringFord Administration to allow for a negotiation process conducted with the best interest of all SpringFord Area School District stakeholders in mind.”