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 15, 2022, when the existing contract expires. The school district and Shaler Area Education Association, the collective bargaining unit which represents 353.5 teachers, approved a one-year contract extension through August 2022 in December 2020 amid the financial uncertainty resulting from the pandemic. The new collective bargaining agreement will be in effect until August 15, 2027.
“We are very proud of the focused and collaborative approach taken by the Shaler Area Education Association and district to reach this contract agreement,” said Dr. Sean Aiken, superintendent. “This new collective bargaining agreement is focused on addressing the needs of all district stakeholders — teachers, taxpayers, and students — and places the district in a position for another successful five years.”
The contract includes overall increases to teachers’ salaries that range from 3.49 to 4.05 percent over the life of the contract with an average increase of 3.76 percent per year. Additionally, the starting salary for full-time professional teachers will increase to $54,832 for educators with a bachelor’s degree and $57,882 for educators with a master’s degree in year five of the contract, reflecting the district’s focus on attracting the highest quality teachers to the district.
In response to rising healthcare costs, teachers’ will see monthly rates increase in each year of the contract. Teachers with individual coverage will see their monthly health care premium contribution rates increase incrementally over the life of the contract from $89 to $109. Teachers with family coverage will see their monthly health care premium contribution rates incrementally increase from $185 to $225.
The new contract also increases the instructional periods in which professional staff can teach students. The contract will include the option for all teachers to teach up to six periods per day. Previously, only a percentage of educators in identified departments at the secondary level could teach six periods.
“This contract reinforces our common goal of providing the best education possible to Shaler Area students and supporting the teachers who work with these students every day,” said Craig Wells, president of the Shaler Area Education Association.
The Shaler Area Education Association ratified the contract on Nov. 17 followed by the school board’s approval during its voting meeting on Nov. 17. Shaler Area School District has approximately 3,900 students in seven schools.