Teacher Negotiations Expected to Continue Through Summer

Both the teachers and the school board of the West Chester Area School District are in the midst of a new contract negotiation, and while both sides continue to talk, the current teacher's contract is set to expire on June 29.

Earlier this week the school board released its set of proposals that included an almost four percent raise in the first two years of the contract followed by a $1,500 performance bonus in the third year.

The proposal from the school board also included shared health insurance costs that would reduce the district's cost burden from 90 percent in the first year to 8 percent by the third year.

When the school board released their proposals they also released a summary of the teachers' union proposal.

That proposal asked for a 5.57 percent salary increase in the first year and a 5.81 percent increase the next two years.  The teachers argue that these raises would cover cost of living plus "salary step movement."

The teachers also have asked for two days to be removed from their work year taking that number from 190 down to 188.  The teachers reduced their work year by an additional two days in the last round of negotiations for the current contract.

In the Daily Local this week, the district's chief negotiator Jeffrey Sultanik said that contract talks are expected to continue through the summer and that the two sides will continue to meet.