North Hills School District Board of Education approved a five-year contract with the North Hills Education Association on April 4. The union represents the district's 364 teachers, and union members ratified the contract on April 3. The previous five-year contract was slated to expire on August 23.“North Hills School District and our teachers reached this agreement through a process of shared problem solving as we worked together and not in opposition on this project. Our efforts represent a culture of collaboration, cooperation and mutual respect that I am proud to say we have developed in North Hills,” said Dr. Patrick J. Mannarino, North Hills superintendent.
“School districts across Pennsylvania are in the midst of difficult economic times, and North Hills is not immune to the ever present financial challenges surrounding public education. However, with a spirit of compromise, we were able to strike a fair deal for our teachers, our district and our community.”
In the new contract, teachers’ salaries will increase by an average of 3.48 percent annually. As well, teachers at top of the district’s salary schedule – currently 185 or nearly half of North Hills’ teachers - will receive a raise of no more than 1.63 percent during each of the contract’s five years.
Each year of the contract, teachers also will increase their contribution for medical insurance coverage. With this increased contribution each year, North Hills teachers will contribute the highest amount for their health insurance of any of the county’s 42 suburban school districts.
“We are pleased that our district and its teachers could work together to reach an agreement that is equitable for all parties involved,” said Ed Wielgus, North Hills Board of Education president. “Balancing the needs of our taxpayers along with the needs of our district employees can be a challenge, but I am proud that we were able to find a compromise that satisfies our employees and maintains the district's fiscally responsible ideals.”
Negotiators for the school district and the union have been meeting since mid-2018. The newly approved contract expires in August 2024.