By Zorian Edwards, Editor-In-Chief
Disclaimer
Information for this article was gathered from people involved in the meeting directly, teachers in the district, and The Meadville Tribune. This article is meant to give a general overview of the meeting, contract, and present feelings about the situation at hand. This article is not meant to reflect the feelings or opinions of individuals on The Panther Press staff.
The PENNCREST School Board held a special voting meeting on Feb. 5 at central office with the teachers’ union hoping to set a teacher’s contract in stone. We are glad to report the teachers of PENNCREST now have a contract.
The negotiations over this contract have been in the works since January of 2022. The vote was 7-1 in favor of the contract. Vice President of the board David Valesky was the lone dissident while board member Tim Brown abstained from the vote because his wife is a teacher at Saegertown Elementary.
“I was disappointed that the vote was not unanimous,” PAEA Representative Debbie Miller (Mrs. Miller, a teacher from Cambridge Springs) said. “But we were glad it passed, and we can move on to what matters most: students.”
What does this contract do/mean?
The contract will take effect at the start of the 2024-2025 school year. This contract is a five-year agreement similar to the one that came before it, which guarantees that a raise, totalling nearly 10 percent, will occur over the length of the contract. It also increases teacher health contributions by 26 percent for individuals and 62.5 percent for families.
“One big issue that the board often commented on was healthcare,” Miller said. “I am proud that the teachers understood the difficult place the district was in with rising costs.”
Now here comes the question, does this mean we are raising taxes? Board Vice President David Valesky notes this as the reason for his dissent.
“I will not vote for a tax increase. PENNCREST taxes have increased 4.56 mills in the last 13 years. In that same time our enrollment has dropped almost 800 students,” Valesky told The Meadville Tribune. “I’m not against a fair teachers contract but until we have a plan on how to pay for it without increasing taxes, I can’t vote for the contract.”
His thoughts were detailed in the same article from The Meadville Tribune. In this article, they talk about how the costs associated with the contract will cost the district $3 million additionally for each year. In order to raise this much money, the district’s decision would need a tax increase of approximately 2 mills or significant budget cuts elsewhere. For more details in this area, we highly suggest you visit the embedded links within this article.
In contrast with Valesky, board member Randy Styborski was in favor of the contract, having a more positive viewpoint.
“In these difficult times for both teachers and residents, with PENNCREST experiencing attrition among its staff and a shrinking pool of highly trained teachers statewide, it was imperative to secure a contract that acknowledges both concerns. Collective bargaining is about seeking compromise,” Styborski said. “I believe we reached that with this contract.”
How did this come about?
This has been a pressing matter since the last contract ended in the 2022-23 school year; however, the most recent push for the contract came from Mrs. Miller, who has spoken at board meetings repeatedly about the teacher’s contract and the importance of having one in place.
“As all teachers’ contracts are important, this is especially important,” Miller said. “It is a collective agreement between the professional staff and the board, detailing what obligations are part of our jobs, as well as what conditions (salary, benefits, work day/year, etc.) we can expect.”
Notably, following the board’s reorganization meeting in December, meetings took place between the teacher union’s negotiating committee, district administrators, and the district’s new negotiating committee. The current members of the district’s negotiations committee are Allison Beers, Brian Custard, and Theresa Lugo. Throughout those meetings, the group slowly came to a compromise.
Final thoughts and conclusion
Overall, the compromise on the teacher’s contract ensures PENNCREST teachers know their rights, duties, and the terms of their employment. This also shows the district can move forward, taking care of other pressing matters within the school district.
“It has been a very long and difficult time (over 500 days without a contract),” Miller said. “Yet our teachers stayed strong and also stayed engaged, giving their best for their students. They were the picture of professionalism and commitment.”
Teacher Sound Offs
“I am thankful to the negotiations team and the school board for coming to an agreement. It feels good to finally have a contract.” – Mrs. Thomas, AP Physics, Physical Science Instructor, and Technology Integrator at SHS.
“I am glad that we were able to arrive at a fair contract. This was a long negotiation with many disruptions, but, in the end, I feel that a fair compromise was reached. Both sides were satisfied, but neither was overjoyed. It is good to know that I work for a district where students and education are still valued.”- Mr. Brenneman, Saegertown School Librarian and SHS Gifted Teacher