School Board to Consider Budget, Employee Agreements

The 2012-2013 final budget and two collective bargaining agreements will be considered at Thursday's Council Rock School Board meeting.

The board will consider approval of three-year agreements with the Council Rock Education Association (CREA) and the Council Rock Education Support Professionals Association (CRESPA). The agreements, which were reached after months of collective bargaining, have already been ratified by a membership vote from both groups. 

The agreement with CREA, which represents 853 employees, including teachers, counselors, nurses and psychologists, freezes salaries the first year. In the second year of the CREA agreement, 47 percent of teachers (those who aren’t at the top of the salary scale) will receive a typical “step increase” to occur during the 13th pay of the year. There will be no increase in the second year for teachers at the top of the scale, according to district officials.

In the third year, all teachers will receive a half percent salary increase at mid-year, according to district officials. Currently, the top teacher salary for Council Rock is $106,900.  Under the new agreement, the top teacher salary will rise to $107,200 by the middle of the 2014-15 school year.

Under the new agreement, teachers’ contributions to the health care plan will increase by a total of 5 percent. The first year, CREA members will pay 11 percent towards their Blue Cross health care plan. In the second year of the agreement, the contribution increases to 14 percent and by the third year, it’s 16 percent. 

The tentative three-year agreement with CRESPA, which represents 503 professional support staff including teaching assistants, school secretaries, maintenance support, bus monitors, and recess and cafeteria aides, calls for a half percent salary increase in the first year. In the second year of the agreement, CRESPA members will receive a 1 percent increase and a 1.5 percent increase in the third year.

In the first year of the agreement, CRESPA members would pay 4.5 percent towards their health care plan, district officials said.  In the second and third year, employees will pay tiered rates: members earning less than $32,000 would pay 5 percent and then 6 percent; members earning more than $32,000 will pay 7 percent and then 9 percent. 

Both CREA and CRESPA agreed to other plan design modifications, including mandatory mail order for prescription drugs, which the district estimates will save more than $100,000 annually. 

According to district officials, the agreement with CREA also includes a Memorandum of Understanding that will require a continued discussion of the terms and conditions of employment, including the salary matrix.

Also on Thursday, the board will consider adoption of a final $201.8 million budget for 2012-2013. If approved, taxes will increase 1.7 percent.

Thursday’s meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. at the  Click here to view the full agenda.