Shaler Area School District and the Shaler Area Education Association are proud to announce they have signed a new five-year contract.
The new collective bargaining agreement will take effect on August 16, 2016, when the existing contract expires, and continue through August 15, 2021.
The contract includes an additional 1.5 percent average increase each year to teachers’ salaries through the life of the contract. This brings the average salary increase for teachers to 4.6 percent per year. Innovative savings in the areas of supplemental salaries and extra duty pay will offset some of the additional salary increases in the new contract.
Additionally, the starting salary for full-time professional teachers will increase to $47,724 in year five of the contract, reflecting the district’s focus on attracting the highest quality teachers to the district.
After a health care premium contribution rate hold in the first year, teachers’ with individual coverage will see their monthly health care premium contribution rates increase incrementally over the life of the contract from $58 to $89 or $88 to $119 depending on their health insurance option. Teachers with family coverage will see their monthly health care premium contribution rates incrementally increase from $100 to $185 or $150 to $235.
“We are very pleased with the positive and cooperative environment in which representatives from both sides came to the bargaining table to reach this contract agreement,” said Dr. Vic Morrone, acting superintendent, and Melissa Ravas, Shaler Area Education Association president.
“A sub-committee of the school board and the district’s central office team worked with the SAEA leadership team in a true spirit of consensus building to reach a fair agreement for all concerned. We feel this new contract equally addresses the needs and concerns of all of the stakeholders in the district, including teachers, students and taxpayers.”
The Shaler Area Education Association is the collective bargaining unit that represents 385 teachers. The teachers ratified the contract on Oct. 20 followed by the school board’s approval on Oct. 21. Shaler Area School District has 4,464 students in eight schools.