Pv Board Oks 5-Year Teacher Contract ; Includes Annual Salary Hikes Of 3.6-3.8 Percent.

Correspondent

Pequea Valley teachers will get annual salary increases of between 3.6 percent and 3.8 percent in the next five years.

School board members, at Thursday's board meeting, approved a new, five-year contract, which runs Jan. 1, 2015 through June 30, 2020.

Chief of Finance and Operations John Bowden said salaries will increase 3.6 percent for the 2015-2016 school year, the first year of the contract.

Teachers also will have a 3.7 percent increase in year two and 3.8 percent wage hikes in each of the remaining years of the contract.

Other provisions in the contract include:

The adoption of a high deductible health plan for all staff, beginning Jan. 1.

Eliminating an employee contribution for the health care plan.

A limit to the time an employee can be out on disability.

No personal days permitted the last three days of the school year.

The ability for the district to contract outside the bargaining unit for instructors of on-line courses if there is no qualified staff teacher willing to teach.

Rearranged some extra-curricular stipend amounts and increased the maximum pay ranges.

Bowden also said the district will pay $1.4 million into an employee health savings account from savings through the next three years. Those payments will not have any impact on the general fund.

In related news, the board entered into a three-year contract with Small Business Insurance Services Inc. to provide software and consulting relating to the implementation and management of a Qualified High Deductible Health Plan and Health Savings Account.

The board also announced agenda topics for the Sept. 30 committee meeting, including PV Education Foundation Update, a district comprehensive plan, middle school schedule and technology.