Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
The Pennsbury School Board approved contract extensions on Thursday evening with the Pennsbury Education Association (PEA) and the Pennsbury Educational Support Professionals Association (PESPA).
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The new deals were approved and extend the teachers’ contract through 2031 and the support staff through 2032.
The memberships of the unions have already approved the contracts.
The unions and district reached a consensus on raising salaries, contributing to healthcare benefits, and altering contract terms. The changes included adjusting the number of mandatory meetings and giving the district the ability to change start times in the future, according to a statement from the district.
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“Salaries and benefits account for more than 70 percent of the district’s annual budget. Having agreements settled for the next seven and eight years will provide a solid foundation for our long-term fiscal planning,” said Pennsbury CFO Chris Berdnik.
The district administration sought to extend the contracts as Pennsbury looks toward hundreds of millions in future capital spending, including building a new high school.
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Over the course of the contract for support staff, health care premium contributions will increase by two percent.
The pay for support staff will increase by 3.5 percent through the 2027-2028 school year, 4.75 percent in the 2028-2029 school year, and 3.5 percent between 2029 through 2032.
With the teachers’ deal, health care premium shares will increase by 1.5 percent through the 2030-2031 school year.
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Teachers will get a pay hike of 3 percent in 2026-2027 and 2.75 percent increases will be provided each school year from the 2027-2028 to 2030-2031 school years.
“These agreements reflect the hard work of our members and their commitment to all students in Pennsbury while being mindful of all constituents. We are proud to support our district and community as we strive for Pennsbury to be the very best,” said Nicole Peirce, president of the Pennsbury Education Association, and Marla Lipkin, president of the Pennsbury Educational Support Professionals Association, in a joint statement.
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“I am happy that we were able to work together to reach an agreement that acknowledges the vital role our instructional and support staff members play in our district while being respectful to our community members and assisting us with our long-term planning,” said School Board President Dr. Joanna Steere.
Board member Donna Abrescia, a former district support staff, said she was happy to see “equality for support staff in this contract.”
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Board member Jim Prokopiak said the contracts will help the district plan its budgeting process over the next several years.
The Pennsbury Education Association (PEA) includes approximately 870 certified personnel, consisting of teachers, counselors, psychologists, nurses, speech therapists, social workers, behavior analysts, and librarians, while the Pennsbury Educational Support Professionals Association (PESPA) covers around 675 staff members, includes bus drivers, custodians, maintenance employees, paraprofessionals, and secretaries, among other positions.
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