The Neshaminy School District and the Neshaminy Education Support Professionals Association (NESPA) struck a tentative deal on a new contract Friday night.
School district officials confirm the deal and said they could not release specific information to the media until it is finalized and both sides vote to approve it, which could come in the next two weeks.
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According to sources with knowledge of the agreement, the deal includes the district offering early retirement intensives to some members of the support staff union. The tentative deal is also reported to allow the district to outsource food service staff and some functions currently handled by the IT department.
School board member Mike Morris, who was on the district’s negotiating team, said he could not confirm the specifics on the deal. He did say both sides spoke from 10 a.m. until just after 8 p.m. Friday.
NESPA members have been worried their jobs could be outsourced by the district as it looks to reign in costs over the next several years. More than 100 NESPA members came to a school board meeting in June and petitioned for their jobs.
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NESPA covers roughly 500 staff members ranging from bus drivers to IT workers. The union has been without a deal since the last one expired June 30.
Contract talks between the district and the union have been going on since May.
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A state fact-finder’s report that was released earlier in the summer said the district has requested bids to outsource certain support positions in an effort to save money.
NESPA President Mindy Andersen said at a board meeting in June that 80 percent of the district’s support staff live in the district and the average salary is $28,000.
Both the school board and the union will have to approve the contract before it becomes valid.
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Officials from NESPA were not available for comment on Saturday.
