Schools
WCASD Changes Raises Plan, Hikes Insurance Premiums to Some
District hails the cost savings, while School Board President attacks teachers union.
Several employee groups in the West Chester Area School District will be paying more for health insurance premiums starting Monday while seeing the way raises are paid change dramatically. The board says that while health insurance premiums will rise under the plan, out of pocket co-pays and other healthcare expenses paid directly by employees will drop.
The School Board voted this week to approve the changes amidst skyrocketing healthcare costs and to change pay raises to a merit-based system tied to a state issued index under a regulation known as Act I. In the 2013-2014 school year, that means school district employees in the district administration, the supervisory, technical, and confidential employees, the support staff, and custodial staff would get a 1.7 percent raise, according to the WCASD.
Board President - Teachers Union War of Words Rages On
The agreement does not cover the teachers union contract. The teachers' contract also expires on Sunday night at midnight. The district announced earlier this month that the school board and the union have agreed to use a fact finder in the talks. That process means there will not be a teacher contract before the end of the summer.
That didn't stop School Board President Vince Murphy from taking another public shot at the teachers union. “The Board is pleased to have now reached cost-saving agreements with district administration, the supervisory, technical, and confidential employees, the support staff, and custodial staff. Unfortunately, union leadership representing our teachers remains the outlier by, among other things, refusing to acknowledge the urgent need to help reign in the cost of healthcare,” Murphy said.
Murphy's comments came two days after the West Chester Area School District Teachers Association announced it would file an unfair labor practices complaint against the district. Teachers union President Deborah Fell announced the move on the union's website, citing statements by School Board Member Heidi Adsett.
In the website statement, the teachers union says "Fell pointed to a May 23 press statement board member Heidi Adsett released, in which she asked for the right to fire association leaders because of their involvement with the union and falsely accused teachers of neglecting their duties."
New Agreement Projected Savings
A school district press release says the new three-year agreement with administration, supervisory, technical, and confidential employees, will save the district nearly $1 million over the next three years through reduced benefits, and establish salary adjustments based on performance-based factors. The new agreements begin Monday morning at midnight and run through June 30, 2016.
Here is the full text of the press release issued by the WCASD:
WCASD Board Gains Substantial Savings from Two New Compensation Agreements
(West Goshen, PA) June 24, 2013 – Two separate compensation plans adopted by the West Chester Area School District Board of School Directors will create savings of nearly $1 million over the next three years through reduced benefits, and establish salary adjustments based on performance-based factors.
By approving the Act 93 Administrators’ Compensation Plan, as well as the Compensation, Benefits, and Work Environment Guide for Supervisory, Technical, and Confidential Employees, the Board secured implementation of a new healthcare plan that will cost the District less to purchase, and requires higher contributions from employees covered by each agreement. The Independence Blue Cross (IBC) PC 320 base plan will cost the District less and also result in lower out-of-pocket costs for employees, who can still purchase higher coverage levels by choosing to “buy-up” at their own expense.
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Both agreements will be in effect for three years, from July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2016.
Board President Vince Murphy said, “The Board is pleased to have now reached cost-saving agreements with District Administration, the Supervisory, Technical, and Confidential Employees, the Support Staff, and Custodial Staff. Unfortunately union leadership representing our teachers remains the outlier by, among other things, refusing to acknowledge the urgent need to help reign in the cost of healthcare.”
Find out what's happening in West Chesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Overall, the Act 93 Administrators’ plan will reduce the District’s healthcare expense by more than $425,000 to cover the 57 Act 93 employees. Under the IBC PC 320 plan, the cost-sharing component paid by employees will rise from 10% to 12% in 2013, and go to 15% in 2014. New contributions for dental, vision, and prescription coverage – which had been zero – will also be set at 12% in 2013 and 15% in 2014.
The Act 93 agreement also provides for a performance based merit pay approach, tied to the state-issued Act 1 Index which is 1.7% for 2012-13.
A savings of $439,000 will be realized over the life of this agreement with the 65 Supervisory, Technical, and Confidential employees covered. The IBC PC 320 Plan will also become effective on July 1, 2013, with the same contribution percentages found in the Act 93 package.
Dr. Jim Scanlon, WCASD Superintendent of Schools, said, “The Board, our Administrators, and non-bargaining support staff are all to be thanked for working together to reach these agreements, which should lead to employee stability over the next three years.”
By tying merit increase amounts to the Act 1 Index, the School District can predict that most costs within its control will remain manageable, even during difficult economic times.
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